The gift of experience...

My girlfriend and I were commiserating yesterday about how much we hate shopping, especially when it comes to certain people for whom it is hard to find the right gift. She was stumped by her mother-in-law, who isn't one for "stuff" (and Cathy's not into giving "stuff" either). So I suggested an "experience." You know... a ticket to something, an activity or a show, something that her mother-in-law might enjoy but wouldn't necessarily think to do for herself. Cathy found a great gift online -- tickets to a dinner theatre. What made it even better was that she didn't have to leave her home in BC to get a wonderful Calgary present.

My favourite gifts for the past two years came from my parents. Two years ago, they gave us tickets to see Aga Boom, a troupe of clowns (once members of Cirque du Soleil) who played at the community theatre in Sherwood Park. We still talk about that evening and how hard we all laughed at the chaotic, messy and totally participatory ending of the show. And last year, we received the gift of a canoe trip from Devon (west of Edmonton) to Edmonton. We went in August, and what a wonderful day it was!

There are multitudes of experiences that can be given as gifts. Think massages, foot rubs, a trip to an art gallery or museum, a nice dinner... use your imagination. Some experiences don't even have to cost a penny. My husband gave our girls the gift of teaching them to play his old "Risk" game one Christmas. Experiences, especially good ones, can stay with us longer than almost any single "thing" because things tend to wear out faster than great memories...