Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

On the Precipice

I hope you all had a fulfilling Thanksgiving—with maybe fewer people, but with good food and much to be thankful for despite all the adversity of the past year.

As I was preparing for the holiday, I thought about the many, many things I have to be thankful for this year. In addition to my family and friends, I am particularly grateful for Inwood Hill Park. Yes, I’m thankful for the books and jigsaw puzzles, and I’m so grateful for my Instapot. But really, the park—free, open and ever changing—has been the best coping resource of all, especially because it was a safe space where I could walk and feel connected to both friends and nature.

Of course, on the heels of Thanksgiving comes Christmas, and I know everyone wants this year to be as merry and bright as possible. But while plunging into a frenzy of buying to try to put this terrible year behind us sounds comforting, will it be?

A 2016 University of Toronto study said that gifts of experiences are “more socially connecting” than gifts of objects. And if there is anything we crave after our experience in 2020, it’s social connection.

I always challenge people to consider giving experiences over stuff, and this year, it also makes more sense than ever. In addition to the park, I was also grateful for my Botanical Gardens membership. What better way to support the arts and have socially distant (indoor) walks this winter, than by giving museum memberships? If I give my husband a scarf, he wears it (or doesn’t), but if I give him a membership to the Whitney, as I did a few years ago, we can go together. Another alternative to “stuff” that sits around is consumable gifts (they are “experienced” in a different way). Homemade cookies, local honey or preserves, a bottle of wine or a cheese-of-the-month subscription are all gifts that likely won’t gather dust.

Be thoughtful, weigh each purchase, and ask if it will help the people and places that truly need help. Support the arts and nonprofits, shop local and small. And ask yourself if each gift will bring joy and connect you to your loved ones, or just add to credit card debt and landfills.

Politicians say a crisis is a terrible thing to waste, and I have to agree. Let’s carry the lessons of this year into the holiday season, let’s be intentional, let’s build connections and let’s move into 2021 resolved to remember what is really important.