All you need is Love

All You Need is Love Show your Love! Its that festive time of the year that makes everyone so busy ! Buying gifts, arranging where to have Christmas dinner, decorating the house and simply trying to make all things perfect, especially for the children, on THE special day. But at this time there is one important thing that can bring everyone together and that is a small token of showing your “Love”. I have just spent a whole weekend with my side of the family up in the North East UK, seeing my mum, sisters, brother, their spouses and their children, playing board games, eating and laughing together. It was so much fun and this has no value at all, it just shows ‘Love’. It was effortless, no expense and a very simple way of making the other person happy so we should all do it more often and show our appreciation of each other. I recently made one of those ‘homemade ‘ wooden Christmas advent calendar. My son painted and decorated it and then I had to fill in all the drawers which was supposed to give him a present or chocolate for each day. Yes, I did fill a few presents and chocolates !However, most of the days have been filled with little happy notes. E.g. “Give someone you love a hug today” and another “ tell a friend what you like about them and make them happy”. I know you might think I’m being a bit mean by not giving him 25 chocolates but I thought it was important that by doing these small acts of kindness it really fills the world with a little bit more LOVE. This Christmas it would be lovely to do a good deed and show your love , meet or call your family and friends, tell them something that you like about them to make them happy. If you really want to go that extra mile then visit a local neighbour that may not have any close relatives and drop in for a cup of tea or invite them around for dinner? Visit a local homeless shelter and drop off some food or blankets and visit a local senior home and offer to help? There are so many ways to do this. The real meaning of this festive time is truly to show your “love” and why not do it? Here are 5 ways you can show your LOVE:

1. Express gratitude – tell someone how much you appreciate them.

2. Set aside time – give the gift of listening.

3. Be thoughtful with gifts – really understand the person and what is special about them.

4. Write a note – I love you for a million reasons and these are the top 3 !

5. Be forgiving – gently explain and then switch to a positive outlook.