Leslie-ism:
"Giving Christmas gifts is like a sport to me.
Finding or making that perfect something.
It's also like a sport to me because I always win."
- season 4, episode 10
Leslie is a notorious over achiever in all ways - especially in being a FRIEND! Holidays and birthdays are not enough days for her to show the people she loves how much she loves them, so she even invents holidays and anniversaries. Just to add more gift giving to her life. And one might think - oh, she probably just gives crappy gifts to be able to say she gave so many gifts - but you would be SO WRONG! As I mentioned in a previous post, Leslie Knope gives 110% in all she does and gift giving is no exception, so much in fact Ron Swanson says in the same episode, "..every year she gets me something thoughtful and personal" and later asks the Parks team to get something for Leslie that will "erase the enormous emotional debt that has built up over years of this gift-giving imbalance."
How I lived it:
- As I mentioned, I got my favorite dept/colleagues to do secret santa with me (I may not have given them a choice, I'm kind of a steamroller, which is very Leslie Knope-ish of me). From the start, my excitement at the prospect was off the charts. And as I could tell there were a few colleagues who may not have been..."that into it," I decided I would be SOOOOO into it for them. I did end up giving everyone small gifts every day. And I made them all so it was no cost to me other than my time and energy. Homemade banana breads, small shots of mulled apple cider, "Proud Nerd" buttons (I have a button maker at work)...It made me so happy.
- "Making that perfect something" seemed to be my jam this year. I was feeling really creative and made a lot of small things for people. If you haven't ever tried to think of something thoughtful you could make for someone you love - JUST TRY IT! The act itself, the time spent making and thinking of that loved one, adds so much more cheer to the holiday season. You do NOT need to be a master crafter. And homemade gifts do not have to be elaborate or super expensive. They just have to be thoughtful.
- Throughout visits with people, in my travels, while out in public, I looked for ways to feel and be connected and more present. I engaged in more small talk with strangers and loved ones. I tried to talk less and ask people more questions. When I found myself with down time, I didn't rush to fill it, I paused. I waited. When I worked on a craft, I also stayed with people and continued to chat with them. This last part was hard for me - the pausing and the staying engaged. I had to try reeeeeeeaaaaallllllly hard and sometimes I had to go off alone and sneak in a few episodes of Parks and Rec.
And lastly...
(Sub)Leslie-ism:
"This year, though? My friends won. In fact, I got my ass handed to me."
Leslie finished this post's Leslie-ism with these words because her friends DID finally balance the gift giving scale. The whole department put some thought into it and made Leslie her Christmas gift. She LOVED it. What I think she loved most was the thought of all of them together, working on that gift for her.
- My hubby and I got married in December, so we have something extra to celebrate during an already festive season. This year was our 5th year; we put a lot of thought into our traditional anniversary gifts. I've always been a thoughtful gift giver. My hubby has been getting more and more thoughtful in all of his gift giving, which then makes me be even MORE thoughtful, so I can be the most thoughtful (also very Leslie Knope-ish of me). Well, this year for both our anniversary gifts and Christmas gifts, my hubs might have very well have bested me. It was awesome.
Political Actions:
I don't think I did anything political over this holiday time...Damn you, Trump. Damn you!
Me: 9
Trump: 3
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