Luxury is overrated

Looking for a sweet gift? How about the gift of remembrance to someone whose loved ones have passed on?

It can be something as simple as a letter, a phone call, an email or even a text to say, “I was thinking of your Mom and the tasty sugar Christmas cookies she baked for all the neighborhood kids” or “Remember when we were flower girls at your Big Sister’s wedding and the priest said, ‘You may kiss the bride’ and we all said ‘ewwww’ and your sister didn’t kill us? Yeah, I miss her, too.”

Of course, it is important to know your audience. Some people might not ever never ever want to hear the name of the rotting-in-hell spouse who cleaned out the bank accounts.

But I’m betting more of us do than don’t.

People are reluctant to bring up the dead because they say they don’t want to make us sad, but for me, I love hearing a vignette or three about my family, friends and bunnies Buggs, Buster, Pookie and Snagglepuss, who have gone on to the Beyond of Greatness.

Our hearts are warmed to know that in the course of your own busy lives that you remember our loved ones. Our hearts are warmed even more to know that you have not forgotten them.

Which brings me to the gift of a loaf of Martin's bread from my friend, Stacey, one of the most thoughtful people I know.

She gave it to me because of the brand name, but for me it stirred another memory. I’m not a big bread fan which accounts for why I didn’t know of this particular brand, but my Martin would crawl naked backwards over cut glass in a blizzard for bread to the point where he insisted that we attend Protestant churches on Communion Sunday because here in New England the bread tends to be freshly baked.

I’d have to keep a close eye on him when the bread was passed around because he’d inevitably pinch enough body of Christ for a sandwich. 

You can’t see my face right now, but I’m smiling.

I tell ya, it’s hard to go wrong with a gift of remembrance.