That this section was an afterthought just echoes the importance of it... Most of us are kind to ourselves last. And yet we all are in need of reminders that our uniqueness is worth celebrating. As it is good to do unto others what we would do unto ourselves... we must be able to give unto ourselves as well as to others to truly understand the value of a gift.

Giving to yourself also exercises your ability to see how to give with more sensitivity to others - to identify truly special gifts that will be likely to lift spirits, stimulate creativity, and leave the receiver with a lasting impression that continues to work its magic for a long time to come. 

Then, as gift givers at holiday time, and perhaps as bringers-together of others, we may well be in need of a mid-season boost - the nature of which we are best able to determine.

Don't you deserve - and need - wonderful gifts, too? Why not practice giving yourself what you would wish for others? There's no time like the present...

These are some of the things that I would like best for myself (and, in many cases, have given myself, over time - though not necessarily in the spirit of a gift... which would have been nicer!). See if any of these ideas resonate with your needs - or stir you to make a list of your own...

• A phone call to an old friend
   
• A calling card to use only on calling people you've been missing
   
• A gratitude journal (i.e., a blank book, in which you will list all the lovely things in your life)
   
• A professional massage
   
• A retreat weekend (or week!)
   
• Go Christmas caroling
   
• Ask for a clarifying dream on a matter that's been troubling you before you go to sleep at night (and keep on asking until you remember the dream/s!)
   
• A lottery ticket?
   
• A beautiful broom! - to make housekeeping far more pleasurable
   
• A recording of John Phillip Sousa marches to do housework by
   
• Subliminal tapes to help you with a problem in your life that you seek to address (I highly recommend those by InnerTalk - well-researched, with messages actually not truly subliminal but more effectively just within the auditory range)
   
• A visit to an aging/ill loved one (i.e., give yourself the gift of not being too late)
   
• Write yourself a love letter
   
• Permission to break out of a mold/rut (ask your doctor to write you a prescription in aid of this? - my M.D. once wrote me out a prescription for getting into the sunshine every day it's here and "more laughter")
   
• A subscription to a flowers-of-the-month club
   
• What pleasure have you been putting off? - do it
   
• A kite
   
• A more comfortable bed/chair/shoes
   
• Play on a slide, ride a you-push-it merry-go-round
   
• Permission to cry? (peel onions, if you have to, to get started - the release of pent up emotions is good for anyone)
   
• Rewrite the words, specifically for yourself, to a favorite song - and sing it often to encourage yourself
   
• Build a tree house in your backyard
    
• Go on a picnic to a favorite beauty spot - or to an off-the-beaten path place (such as the airport, to people watch - or your own roof, to give you a new perspective)
    
• Really work at listening to your inner voice (keep a dream journal, notice what thoughts are in your mind on awakening, pay deliberate attention to physical/emotional signs of stress, or... just listen?)
   
• A wild umbrella (and colorful rainboots to splash around in?)
   
• A porch swing
   
• A jacuzzi for your bathtub or a spa for your deck (actually, our hot tub was wood-fired - via a Snorkel Stove - and out under the stars, surrounded by glow worms in the grass... mmm)
   
• A childhood-home-movies party (everybody brings her/his own old flicks of her/himself to show)
   
• Go sledding in the snow
   
• Run through the sprinklers when it's hot!
   
• Build a snowman, or a sandcastle
   
• A beautiful rock crystal or shell, or a crystal prism (or all three)
   
• Make yourself a tape of a wonderful, peaceful trip of the imagination that you can follow in your mind (a guided imagery journey, if you will)
   
• Sleep out under the stars on a cloudless night
   
• A wonderful stuffed animal (especially one that represents an animal you've always longed for - I finally got my horse in this way, when a large and lifelike "Midnight" went on sale at a department store nearby)
   
• Go out people-watching, to see what there is to see and understand
   
• Trouble dolls to put under your pillow at night
   
• Start a savings account for the fulfillment of a very special desire
   
• A gorgeous, uplifting work of art
   
• Fun at an amusement park with a friend
   
• A backyard swing
   
• A fruit or shade tree to plant
   
• Organize a slumber party at your house (hmm, with blanket tents to sleep under? after going bowling? - this would only be if you're not a bowler)
   
• A ride in a hot-air balloon
   
• A second honeymoon
   
• Name and dedicate all the rooms of your house to reflect inspirational new focuses of your energy (e.g., Hall of Reflection, Storeroom of Good Memories, Sanctum of Serenity, etc.)
   
• A visit to dolphins or porpoises
   
• A fabulous costume
   
• A subscription to Guideposts, always uplifting
   
• A canine, a feline, or a avian companion
   
• Ask your friends to recommend their favorite funny or inspiring books and/or movies (then read/watch some)
   
• A bonfire to sing around (and invitations to friends, if you don't want to sing alone)
   
• Beautiful wind chimes
   
• Wonderful Chakra Chimes or the astonishingly beautiful and powerful singing crystal bowls (or perhaps just the one that resonates most with your needs - I call them Joy Bowls!)
   
• Take some scenic detours
   
• Kids' colored bandaids
   
• List your accomplishments, if you focus too much on the big goals way ahead
   
• Make a "Let there be Light" sign for your dresser or door - and say it when you read it
   
• Go find a carousel to ride on - and reach for the ring!
   
• A ukelele or a pennywhistle
   
• Self-forgiveness (focus on now, not before)
   
• Decluttering/organizing/downsizing
   
• Ask your loved ones to write for you on a sheet of paper a list of reasons they love/admire you
   
• Send out loving thoughts to those who are your least favorites (if you can forgive them, you'll get free of their control)
   
• Create for yourself a reading/prayer niche in your own home or yard
   
• An expressive art seminar
   
• Squaredancing lessons (probably good for what ails ya! - definitely a fun way to exercise body and brain and to learn to live in the moment)
   
• A window box for flowers outside your bedroom
   
• Train yourself to do "EFT" (Emotional Freedom Techniques - a simple method of tapping on acupressure points while focusing on problems), which empowers the individual to identify and release the residue of old fears, hurts, and traumas (see Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing, by psychologist Gloria Arenson)
   
• Throw a surprise party for yourself (with balloon hats to be made when people show up)! - invite your friends, but don't tell them it's a party