As we hurtle headfirst into the holiday season, there’s one thing I don’t want you to forget: yourself.
Yes, yes — I know. That’s the headline of every self-care blog this time of year. You’ve heard it before: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” But sometimes a well-worn truth still needs repeating. And today, I want to explore one specific, often overlooked corner of self-care: gift giving.
Now, I’ll be honest — gifts are my least favorite love language. I rarely feel truly seen through them. Especially in today’s world, where gifting can sometimes look more like checking items off a wishlist than offering something from the heart. The pressure of the holidays often turns what could be meaningful into a seasonal obligation. A mad dash for ideas. A stressor, not a joy.
That said, as I’ve grown older, I’ve started to reconnect with the magic of giving and receiving when it’s done with intention. A thoughtful gift — even something small, like a rock a friend found on the beach because it reminded them of me ( — still one of my favorites gifts ever) — has the power to say “I see you.” It reminds us that we are known, loved, and held.
But the kind of gift I want to talk about today is a little different. It’s not about holiday lists or what you get your in-laws.
It’s about the gifts you give yourself.
One of the most powerful lessons I learned in my circle training program was this: gift giving can be an act of self-love.
At first, that idea didn’t sit well with me (again, gift giving is a low love-language over here). But when my partner and I made the decision to stop having children, I wanted to mark that transition with care and meaning. I planned a small ceremony to honor the end of my childbearing years — and part of that ritual was giving myself a gift: a felted figurine of me and my children.
That figurine sits on my desk now. It’s more than just an object. It’s a reminder of a sacred passage in my life, of the love I have for my journey and for myself. That gift — to me, from me — holds deep emotional weight.
Gifts don’t have to be big or expensive. They can be simple. Symbolic. Personal. They can be physical things, or experiences, or moments you intentionally carve out. What matters is the meaning you place in them.
So, I’ll ask you:
Are you approaching a transition? A birthday, a career change, a milestone, an identity shift? Is there something you can give yourself to honor that moment — to mark it as meaningful?
And as the holidays come crashing in, with all their noise and pressure, I invite you to hold space for yourself. To soften your grip on the traditions that don’t serve you. To rethink what gift giving could be — not just as a way to connect with others, but as a powerful act of connection with yourself.
Because yes — you are worthy of gifts, too.
xo,
April & Lena