Our Presence is the best Present we have to offer

Hello,
It's Sunita here.

I was chatting with my patient Jazmyn as I was treating her this week. I asked her how her holiday preparations were going. She told me that she was stressed out because she still had to buy a gift for her sister, which was tough as she was in the middle of finals.

Now having known Jazmyn for a while , I have learnt how caring, thoughtful and creative she is. She is a ambitious college student who also works part time. She comes to her appointments with such positive energy that it's always a pleasure to take care of her.

I reassured Jazmyn that her sister would not want her to be worrying about buying a gift for her during her exams and that she would most likely be happiest spending time with her during the holidays.

I reminded her that our presence is the best and most valuable present that we have to offer anyone.

I can't deny that there was a time that I too stressed about buying gifts during the holiday's. It really took away the joy of the season. And it created a time burden that was impossible to remain calm under.

It was only after I received the gift of someone's entire presence that I truly understood how valuable it was. Fully focusing our attention on someone is saying to them- I have nothing else in this world right now that is more important than you. I want to hear what you have to say and I am thoroughly enjoying being in your company.

Being present with another person requires that we genuinely be interested in them and not allow distractions to interrupt us. It's the conversation, the activity, the shared experience that creates a memory that is imprinted on our mind and soul.

That memory is the gift! Both to us, and the other person.

Of course, it's practically impossible to be with all our friends and family members during the holidays. So for those that are far away, I try to be present with them when I buy a gift for them. The thought that goes into their gift is actually my gift to them. The item is just a token of that process.

Reassuring Jazmyn this week became an opportunity for me to remind myself of the value of our presence as a present. So thank you for our conversation Jazmyn. And thank you for giving me your permission to share this story. I hope you have a wonderful time at Christmas with your family.

Keeping things simple keeps the stress down at this hectic time of the year.
Keeping the focus on the most important things in life keeps the spirit of the holidays alive.
Keeping our awareness of our essence and sharing our presence with our loved ones helps us keep our connection with them.
And since we are wired for connection, that is an act of supreme self love and self care.

Wishing you many presents of presence this holiday season,
Be well Do well Live well,
Sunita

#selfloveselfcarefirst  #jointhemovement