RIGHTSIZING | Give memories, not clutter

For gifts that last without creating a lot of clutter, give holiday memories

RIGHTSIZING

Will Johnston, executive director of the MicroLife Institute in Atlanta, writes about downsizing as you age. His new column, Rightsizing, will appear every other month in Atlanta Senior Life.

The season of giving is upon us! Families are planning their travels, menus are being created, houses decorated and everyone, especially the kids, are making their wish list to the jolly red man.

Santa is truly a remarkable man. He is able to travel all around the world with one bag and deliver presents to all the good boys and girls. His power to organize, transport and deliver in a single night is better than any Amazon same day prime order I’ve seen. But I wish Santa had a brother or a sister, except with the power to swoop in on Dec. 26 and scoop up unwanted toys, books, and general stuff that doesn’t let my home or my sanity breathe. Ahh, what I truly want for Christmas.

Well, despite my asyet-unfulfilled wish for a professional organizer to show up at my house, the gift giving season is here, and I wanted to talk to you about some fun ways to declutter your gift-buying experience and still bring joy to friends and loved ones.

I can remember — from when I was as young as 3 — ripping open presents, screaming with excitement and then going to my grandparents’ house and opening up more presents, then screaming with more excitement until I passed out after the Christmas dinner.

Today, my Christmas experience is a bit different. I still go to my parents’ house, and inevitably scream at some point, but I usually wake up, make coffee for everyone, start breakfast, sip my coffee and look at the snow for a bit and enjoy the quiet morning. I welcome my parents as they get up, and we enjoy a nice Christmas brunch before we wait for my sister and her family to come over for dinner. Presents aren’t really part of the day anymore. It’s time with my mother and father. The gift that I keep getting and I always want to keep receiving is time with them.

So how do we translate this idea of spending more time together into a present? My theory: concentrate just a little bit more on activities instead of gift-giving. So, without further adieu, here is my short list of experiences you can give this holiday season:

1. Game Night — Hear me out. Whether we’re talking about Monopoly or Cards Against Humanity - the whole point of games is to bring people together to laugh, love, and talk with each other. It might seem old school or even a little inane, but buying a game is the perfect way for you to strike a balance. You don’t have to feel weird about not giving a gift and there is still a present under the tree that a child is able to rip open on Christmas morning. 2. Memberships — For the longest time I paid for a family membership at a local science center for my sister and brother-in-law’s family. This allowed them to go throughout the year and enjoy family time and gave them a ready-made excuse to spend time together in a way that usually wasn’t on their beaten path.

3. Gift Cards — You’ll have to do some research, and I’m not saying just buy a random gift card, but see if you can find the person’s favorite bakery, restaurant, wine store or some other shop you know they love - seek out and purchase a gift card there so your loved one knows thought went into the purchase. 4. Travel — Some really amazing adventures are within driving distance from Atlanta.

From hiking to wineries to the coast to enjoying a good old ghost tour in downtown

Savannah, there are incredible trips as well as weekend getaways that you could plan for you and your family or friends. 5. Life Help — Everyone needs a little help sometimes.

Whether that helps comes in the form of a babysitter for the night so you can enjoy a quiet evening at home, or something as simple as a free week of groceries, a caring gesture can make a big difference. The point of this gift is to provide some peace of mind, but the gift will need to be carefully researched through conversation and understanding someone’s needs. The whole point is to be able to hand them a little note saying “I care for you” and

“I want to do this for you” in order to make your life a little easier, even if it’s just for one night.

I hope this short list will give you some good thoughts on how you approach this holiday season and how you can make more memories instead of more clutter. Wishing all of you a warm happy holiday season and a Merry Christmas!