Gifts to Cheer

It’s that time of year when many of us are out looking for gifts. I’d like to offer some ideas to give people whose health is compromised. These ideas don’t have to cost a lot.

*Offer a specific food treat.
Ask about their food preferences. If you know the specific tastes of your friend, then you know what to make them. Or you could purchase an item from their favorite restaurant and deliver it yourself. Maybe you’d like to buy enough for two and share lunch with them.

Involve your kids. A widower from our church was so lonely after his wife died. Our family took dinner over. We played board games afterward. It was a lovely evening for all of us.

*Offer an appropriate care package.
Chemotherapy is rough on the body and on the brain. When in doubt about an appropriate gift, ask first. Sugar isn’t always the best idea for cancer patients. So how about apples, healthy snacks (like nuts and dried fruit), a small heating pad, a paperback book for some light reading, a colorful magazine or lavender bath salts?

*Offer a specific thing you can do.
Lots of people offer the blanket statement: If you need something, please let me know.

Most people will never ask you for help. If your goal was to sound nice without commitment to actually DO something, then you’ve achieved your goal.

But if you genuinely want to help, give the person a specific suggestion.

Example: One day I hobbled around my yard with my cane in one hand and my dog’s leash in the other. My neighbor jogged across the street. “I can walk your dog any time you need.”

Several weeks later I was in so much pain, I called her to do exactly that. I would never have dared to ask her, if she had not offered that specific gift.

And let me tell you—it was a gift!

So, what are your ideas? Tell me about them in the comments below.