How to give a gift a day to you and yours

Do you give gifts only on birthdays, special occasions, and Holidays? Instead of the Twelve days of Christmas or eight days of Channukah, what about the 365 days of the year?

I'm talking about giving yourself and your partner a gift each day. No I'm not talking about spending money, I'm speaking about sharing something every day.

Giving such a daily gift isn't difficult; I'll give you an example.
Yesterday when I was driving home I saw an interesting sight. There were twelve (yes, I counted them) utility trucks along the road with their cranes up. From my angle entering the road, they were like repeating mirror images down the country lane. It was an awesome and cool sight; I allowed myself to enjoy it for a few moments, and made a mental note to share it with my husband when I got home. I did with the same enthusiasm I had when I saw them, and it translated to my husband who also thought it was cool.

Now, you may be thinking, "That's not a gift! It's just silly," or something similar. However, it is an important part of what keeps us connected and intimate. It was a twofold gift.

First, I gave myself the gift of finding and recognizing something interesting. It is a self-gift I started long ago when I commuted over and hour each way to and from work. The drive was monotonous, so I challenged myself, "Find something cool each day to make it more interesting." Believe it or not, there was always something new to see, to hear on the radio, or just think about. Usually it was something natural- a hawk being chased by a crow, an interestingly shaped tree, or a beautiful sunset. Sometimes it was a car or a license plate. Whatever it was, it kept me aware or my surroundings- a gift in itself.

The second gift came when I decided to share things like this with my husband. Some couples make the mistake of thinking they have to talk about deep soul-filled topics to be more intimate. Not true. Talking about your day, what you experienced, what you thought about, what you saw, what you felt- all of these things bring you closer to your partner. It is the second gift- sharing something wonderful.

A caveat, make sure what you share is interesting, wonderful, or cool, not a complaint or a negative. This is about a gift, and negatives aren't gifts.

So your courageous work is to see, recognize, and remember something neat each day. Then share that with your partner (or family, children, parents) to create connection.

May the gifts keep flowing.