Why a box of "junk" is one of the best gifts I've received📦

Sometimes we learn lessons in unexpected places. This time, it was at the bottom of a shoe box.📦✨

My oldest son has always been an engineer at heart. During his 4th birthday party, amid the generous building sets and wrapped engineering books, one gift permanently shifted my perspective on gift-giving.🎁😊

Enter "N". Always cool. Always confidently defiant in quiet ways. She handed my son a tattered shoebox filled with an assortment of knick-knacks from her home - strings, wires, a broken wooden figure, some gears. She simply said, "Thought you'd like building with these!" You bet he liked it! 🔩😃

N's gift pushed against the unspoken rules of gift-giving with quiet confidence I still reflect on 6 years later. She didn't apologize for changing the rules. She was confident in her self-worth, the legitimacy of her gift, and our friendship. Through one old shoebox, she reminded me of true acceptance, non-judgment, and frugality - traits far removed from most gifting traditions today. 🌟😊

As soon as we think we've mastered our spending plan, along comes December which slingshots us into gifts, pricey hosting, and often a regretful credit card statement in January. In fact, the average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts each holiday season, with 36% going into debt to pay for the holidays. 💸😬

Did you know that the word "Radical" comes from the Latin word for "Root"? (Geeky fact - Radical and Radish are etymologically linked🤓). By giving us a box of old doodads, N radically re-wrote gift-giving traditions to resonate with her values, radically. My child wasn't any less entertained by the lack of wrapping paper and bows. In fact, he played with those doodads for months. 🎉😄

As we live through gift-giving season, how can we get back to the core reasons we gift: appreciation, celebration, connection, and love - without feeding the gifting beast? ❤️🎁😊

Do you have any radical takes on mainstream holiday expectations? Reply and let me know!✨😃