HEATHER THOMAS: For many people, the holiday season is about giving and receiving gifts. However, amidst the material clutter and seasonal stress, it is easy to forget about the endless plethora of amazing gifts we receive every day from Mother Earth. Her gifts may not come in fancy wrapping paper or shiny gift bags, but they do come in millions of colours, shapes and sizes. As you scurry around in search of the perfect gifts, take note of the Ultimate Gifts that are surrounding you.

When was the last time you noticed nature’s gifts and received them for the precious treasures that they are? Take a mental stroll through one day in your life and count how many gifts of nature you find. Maybe you hear the chirping of birds, the patter of rain, or the crashing of waves outside of your window when you return to consciousness from your sleep. Once you open your eyes, maybe you see the glowing sun, or dark rain clouds through the window. Then, maybe you step outside and get hit in the face with a gust of wind, or feel the tickle of a snowflake landing on your cheek. As you go about your day, you pass under the shade of a tree and encounter a cat, squirrel, opossum or even a snake venture across your path. Then, on your way home, you follow the trail of a butterfly that leads you right back to your door where you watch the vibrant colours of the sky in a radiant sunset before darkness falls. With the night sky come the reverberating sounds of crickets and millions of twinkling bright stars and glowing planets, visible to the naked eye. If you’re lucky you will catch a glimpse of a shooting star or meteor shower before the coo of an owl returns you to sleep.

So, while you’re out ‘supporting the economy’ and stocking up on dust-collecting ‘things’ in your efforts to be the most extravagant gift-giver in your family, be conscious of the Environment and the greatest gift-giver in the world, Mother Earth.

Regrettably, the consumerism that is said to keep this country ‘running’, is a contributor to the destruction of this green planet when we don’t choose eco-friendly gifts http://ecofriendlygifts.com. The more we buy, the more we produce waste and deplete natural resources. The better options would be to repurpose or swap items during the holiday season without having to buy something new, or give the gift of photos, hand-written notes or a box of family heirlooms. Another idea is to opt for the gift of your time, and schedule visits with your family and friends during the holiday season to offer a helping hand. Ultimately, the more important goal is to appreciate and understand that we are given gifts every day from this beautiful Earth, not just once a year; and we need to treat the gifts we receive from Mother Earth with the same amount of love and care that we put into selecting the perfect gifts we wrap and give to others. Unfortunately, when you don’t have to work for something, because it’s given to you everyday without you asking, it’s easy to take it for granted.

Consider the beauty in every leaf on every tree, the thousands of varieties of flowers, magical cloud formations, every blade of grass, or the countless number of stars in the night sky. Without joy in your heart, and a heightened awareness for the wonders of nature, your typical day may have only been filled with noisy new reporters, slow-moving traffic, self-centred co-workers, and barking neighbourhood dogs.

You choose what you see, and based on your level of awareness and appreciation you will often only see one side of the story. It may sound cliché, but why not choose the ‘bright side’ and experience Joy in every day?