The festive spirit continues!
However, Anjali was going through a rather depressive phase in her life. She had recently faced a personal setback. Yet, she had overcome it, and had continued to come to the office after taking a few days off. Although she carried on her work diligently, one could feel the change in her energy.
Aruna, her boss, had been observing, and trying to find a way to be supportive to Anjali without giving her reminders about the setback. The office was decked up thanks to the festive season. All the employees had been given gift hampers and sweets to take home. Although Anjali participated in some of the activities and received the hamper graciously, it was clear that she did need a different kind of lift up. The question, for Aruna, was of what kind? Aruna thought that Anjali could use some other kind of a gift. But what kind?
Aruna did not want Anjali to force herself to be happier when she needed time to process and just be.
Aruna also did not want to give Anjali an extravagant gift, like a voucher to a retreat, or some heavy incentive. It felt too empty as a gesture. She would if she could, but that meant ensuring the other employees didn’t feel like Anjali was getting special treatment. As a boss, Aruna had to keep all these factors in mind.
Aruna thought long and hard, and finally, it hit her. Anjali needed to be gifted something meaningful. Nothing too extravagant. Not anything that reminds her of the setback, nothing that acts as a sign for her to ‘quickly get back on track’. And nothing patronising!
Aruna decided to gift Anjali a small indoor plant that she could keep on her desk.
And it worked. The plant worked as a perfect gift for Anjali.
As a gesture of gifting, it helped her to feel cared for. It also reminded her of the power of nurturing. It reminded her that a little care goes a long way. Eventually, she also started to feel how little gestures of self-care regularly, just as watering the plant regularly, would help her to feel better about herself as well.
Gifting doesn’t always have to be extravagant.
As the festive season goes on around the world, we all must be thinking about secret Santas and gift hampers. Besides the materialistic gifts (and we love and want those too!) as humane humans, what we can offer are gestures which could act as gifts, no less than an expensive one.
Do you see a colleague struggling to talk about something? Listening without being judgmental could be a good gift for them.
Do you see a colleague overworked and then stressed out about their long commute? Offering to drop them till a certain distance might be a good gift for them.
Do you see a colleague who usually has their lunch by themselves, lonely on a festive week? Having a meal together with them might be a good gift for them.
And the list can go on.
Gifting is all about caring for our fellow human beings. While sometimes gifts must be in proportion to the material culture and must feel like effort was put into thinking about the gift, there are also times when we can give small gifts of humane gestures. And they are as valuable, sometimes, even more so, than expensive gifts.