The Best Gift Idea Ever: The Gift of Time
If you can't decide on a Wow Gift Idea for someone you care about, then how about giving them the most valuable gift of all -- the gift of time?
If you simply can't figure out what you're going to give someone for their birthday, Christmas, or whatever holiday is appropriate, has it occurred to you that they might appreciate the gift of time?
Now, we're not talking about a Rolex or Bulova here. We mean genuine, quality time, a piece of your life devoted to helping them out and making them happy.
Excuse Me?
For the cynical, the very idea of giving someone time seems like a cop-out, a cheapskate move that doesn't really matter or mean anything. Maybe that's where you are right now... especially if you haven't thought this through.
But give it some consideration. Because here's the deal: time is one of the few things you can't get more of. There's no supply closet down the hall with neatly-labeled boxes of minutes and hours on the shelves. You can't manufacture more time, and you can't even steal it.
It really makes you wonder why we so often waste and kill time. It's bad enough that you sleep a third of your life away... so why throw away any of the rest? If you don't want to use it, give it away. No one really has enough, so to show someone you really care, why don't you pass them some of yours?
Time as a Gift
Giving away your time to someone is just about the best gift idea ever, as long as you handle it right. So what do you do? Well, whatever you can do that needs to be done. Paint someone's house, mow their lawn, groom their dog, wash their car. You get the picture.
This is an apt gift for just about anyone, though busy people and the elderly will usually appreciate it most. Heck, at the very least most people have a flowerbed that needs weeding, or a few errands they've been putting off.
Other Options
If you really feel generous, consider giving a few hours to a charity. There are hundreds you can choose from, and most need volunteers at least as much as they need money. You can help with the administration, or work directly with the people involved; your choice.
If you're wondering how this qualifies as a Wow Gift Idea, consider this: first of all, you're helping out the society of which you're a part, and no doubt you'll pick a charity that means something to you.
Second, when you get right down to it, when you give away your time for a good cause, you usually feel pretty darn good about life. So in a very real sense, you're not just giving the gift of time to others, you're giving it to yourself as well.