Memorable Moments
Welcome back to another Purposeful Pursuit Monday! Today, I’ll be sharing some lore, including a few of my favorite gifts over the years and the origin story behind this series. But before I dive in, I’d love to hear from you—what’s your favorite part of the holidays? Is it spending quality time with family, indulging in delicious food, traveling, admiring holiday lights and décor, or the joy of giving and receiving gifts?
For me, it’s definitely family time. Life gets so busy—family members are in school or living halfway across the world, and it feels like there’s never enough time to connect. However, this year, my mom and I will be taking a step back from celebrating with family to focus on our health. For the past two years, I’ve started the new year by getting sick, and my mom has spent far too much time in the hospital—her "home away from home," as I call it. So, we’re doing things differently this holiday season. Hopefully, by 2025, we’ll be back to celebrating in full swing.
Now it’s your turn—what’s your favorite holiday tradition? Share in the comments below!
Today, I’m adding a fun twist to the usual routine. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite gifts I’ve received over the years and the stories behind them—but here’s the catch: I’m not telling you who gave me what! Instead, it’s up to you to mix and match the gifts with this list of people:
My grandma & grandpa
My mother
My father & step-mother
My eldest brother’s family
My middle brother’s family
MS (friend)
KS (friend)
BT (friend)
LC (friend)
Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the mixing and matching of my all-time favorite gift list! These are presented in no particular order or ranking.
The first gift I’d like to highlight is the “Inhale the future, exhale the past”wall decor. When I received this gift, I was absolutely over the moon—it was such a thoughtful gesture. Not only are the colors stunning, but as someone who has always loved meaningful quotes, this gift truly resonated with me. Wherever I go, I make sure to take it with me. It also serves as a gentle reminder to stay present in the moment. Other than this gift, another gift that this individual(s) got me is a “run” holiday sweater. Although it may not be an ugly Christmas sweater, it is cute nonetheless. I frequently wear it around the house, especially in the colder months. Can you guess who it might be?
The next gift I’d like to mention is rose gold handcrafted rings. These are some of my favorite jewelry pieces to wear and that’s saying something. I’m not much of a jewelry girlie but I fell in love when I saw these! This special someone(s) bought them for me <3 And I’ve cherished them ever since. The next gift I would like to mention was the time we went to the Wondr Museum. Something you may or may not know about me is that I love museums. I enjoy learning new things, taking pictures, and discovering more of what’s out there. Besides museums like the Wondr Museum, other favorites include the Science Museum and Art Museum. Anywho, the day we spent at the Wondr Museums was one of the highlights of my life. There were so many unique pieces of art to interact and take photos with. One day I need to go back with that person. But the more important question, is who got me these gifts?
Moving on to individual(s) #3. These individual(s) usually pick out the cutest fits, beautiful smelling candles, and a cozy gift set. However, both items that I am obsessed with are both shirts from Express. The first one is this dark navy crop top with an open back. I love it so much! I wore it all summer. It’s perfect for hanging out with the girlies and date night. The other shirt I also adore is this cute white cocktail tank. So much so, I wore to work all the time. I really need these individual(s) to be my stylist. Their outfit choices are top notch!! Please feel free to style me at anytime :) Now for all of you reading this here and now, who is it that you think gave these to me?
For individual(s) #4, they know the way to my heart. Over the years through packages and mail, they have sent me so many extraordinary handmade cards. And I love love love all the cards they send me. So much so, I have a bit of a collection going. I enjoy being able to buy some and share with others. I did it for Christmas one year. It was the best!! As for another gift they give me, it’s a gift card for coffee. I love all kinds of coffee, except black coffee. My favorite brand is Colombian. Anywho, they recently got me a Starbucks gift card so I was able to treat myself to my favorite seasonal drink—Caramel Brûlée latte. FYI, coffee is a way to this girl’s heart. It uplifts me and inspires me to take on the world. Same can be said of the coffee/ice cream mixed drinks. So, who do you think has a knack for cheering up others with the one-of-a-kind cards?
Are you still with me? We on to individual(s) #5. Recently I realized that I had a perfect place for a shawl. Just for context, a shawl is a “rectangular/triangular/square larger piece of fabric generally draped over the shoulders or wrapped around the body. It is worn for decorative purposes (to accent an outfit or cover bare shoulders in formal attire), religious purposes, or to keep warm” (according to a Blarney Admin from Shawl vs Wrap vs Stole vs Scarf…What’s the Difference article). Its gorgeous! I have to admit that I would often forget to wear out because it was in my closet along with the rest of my scarfs. However, recently I have found a new home for it. Now I drape it over my office chair. I can’t possibly forget it’s there now. I need an opportunity to arise so I can wear it out! Another highlight is when these individual(s) bought a box of chocolates. Now I’m not really a chocolate lover but they were delicious, all the milk chocolates ones especially. Even a few of the dark chocolate ones. I’m falling in love with raspberry flavored things more and more everyday. Back to the point, who do you think got me these splendid gifts?
Once upon a time, an individual(s) who I know quite well got me a Ghirardelli Coffee set. Although I am not the biggest chocolate lover of all time, I am certainly a cookieholic and coffee-addict at varying, dysfunctional times. Anyway, it was a sweet—super sweet, and thoughtful gift that I enjoyed rather quickly. One second it was there, and the next, it was gone. On the flip side, when I was visiting this person(s), they took me out and showed me around. While shopping, I found this cute, colorful, safari crossbody. It called out to me. But in order to get said discount, these individual(s) had to buy it for me. I may have paid them back later but I still consider it a gift. Who bought these gifts for me?
Ladies and gentleman, coming up next is individual(s) #7. The gift they brought is a pair of Silver Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones. It’s perfect for watching videos, listening to music, and laying in bed drowning out other noises. And guess what, they were free! In all seriousness, they were like a best friend to me. The Bose headphones were compatible with all my devices. They were easy to take anywhere. But most importantly, they allowed me to sleep through anything and everything. To the point, I had to be careful not to wear them to bed on a week night. The runner up gift is a blue, soft furry dreamcatcher from the Navajo tribe. It is made of rabbit fur. It’s so cool and beautifully made. Now for whatever reason, I’ve had a lot of vivid dreams/nightmares the past year or so. I still remember a nightmare that I had this year during the summer. It was during a period of time I was stressed about my phone plan but I was in the middle of the ocean along with a family member. Somehow we were standing on wooden floating benches/bleachers literally in the middle of the deepest part of the ocean. This person was holding my phone and suddenly threw it in the ocean. I panicked because I thought I would have to pay even more into my phone plan after it being damaged. So, I jump in and manage to grab it before it sinks to the bottom on the ocean. When I check to see if the phone is okay, it’s fine. It’s as though brand new and I wake up. Meanwhile, a more recent dream I had was that someone (couldn’t tell who it was) was graduating. I’m not really one who believes dreams tell me something but that one certainly did. Who got me the Bose headphones and dreamcatcher? Can you guess?
Two more to go. Am I saving the best for last? No one will ever know. This individual(s) is often thoughtful and pays attention to the things that matter. These individual(s) surprised me with a letter board. The same letter board that I often feature on here with a quote. I use it all the time. It doesn’t hurt that I also love sharing quotes with others. I believe quotes tell a story, not always my story, but a story nonetheless. I use quotes to sometimes convey feelings I don’t know how to express. I used to send some all the time until they were no longer read and frequently ignored. To be clear, I am not meaning these individual(s). Anyway, it was a lovely gift that I use weekly if not more often. Onto the other gift I want to share which is an open metal bracelet with “InspireThose” written on it. It’s a sentimental, timeless gift to this very blog of mine. After all, I started this blog as a way to honor my brother(s). All four of them have inspired me in ways I never would have expected. I’d frequently share this with my parents. Anyway, both items are quite thoughtful. Bet you can’t guess who it is!
And last but not least, individual(s) #9. If you are looking for yours, here it is. Drumroll please. My favorite gift from this special individual(s) is a piece of decor with the word “inspire” listed across it. It’s simple but means so much. Back in college, when I received it, I would try hanging on my wall but it would keep falling down. So, when I lived at home, I was finally able to put it up. It looked perfect and made me feel right at home! One day when I have an office room of my own, I will put it up. Ironically, it often inspires me to create too. And the last and final gift, I wish to mention on my all time favorite gifts list is our frequent trips to the city. They are the reason I fell in love with the city. They loved adventure as much as I did. Frequently, we’d go there to walk around down, to experience life, and cherish in the moment. The experiences we shared there will never be forgotten. It was an AMAZING part of my journey and our story. Do you think you know who it is? Comment all of your answers below.
For now, as Clement Clarke Moore once wrote, Merry Christmas [Happy Holidays] to all, and to all a good day! (Peep Santa from Twas the Night Before Christmas).
As a signature of this blog, I like to end each post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness”. There is no such time as the present to “Inspire Those Who Inspire You”. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better.
***These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer***
