Cute animal cards never hurt. We bought a mug last winter with the logo of the cause we gave the most to in 2020. It has been a nice reminder of that giving, and well worth the price. (Proceeds from the mug also went to that cause.)
A few other “end-of-year ritual” thoughts:
1. Outdoor rituals, paired with giving: holiday walks (or kicking a soccer ball around) have made our holidays more memorable. We live near a beach, so giving to environmental and animal welfare charities over coffee feels more meaningful right after watching chipper coastal birds racing around the surf
2. Movie or story rituals, paired with giving: without debating her politics, I think there’s a potentially nice model in Elizabeth Warren’s annual NYE viewing of Casablanca with her husband. As she has shared several times: “It’s a story about love & sacrifice, & also how people survive & fight back. Every time we watch it on New Year’s, it gives me hope.” Stories or movies like Casablanca can give one a sense of a) ennobling solidarity, b) perspective that making effective donations and reducing one’s bank account is both great to do, and an easier lift for us than (say) fighting totalitarianism has been for many
Cute animal cards never hurt. We bought a mug last winter with the logo of the cause we gave the most to in 2020. It has been a nice reminder of that giving, and well worth the price. (Proceeds from the mug also went to that cause.)
A few other “end-of-year ritual” thoughts:
1. Outdoor rituals, paired with giving: holiday walks (or kicking a soccer ball around) have made our holidays more memorable. We live near a beach, so giving to environmental and animal welfare charities over coffee feels more meaningful right after watching chipper coastal birds racing around the surf
2. Movie or story rituals, paired with giving: without debating her politics, I think there’s a potentially nice model in Elizabeth Warren’s annual NYE viewing of Casablanca with her husband. As she has shared several times: “It’s a story about love & sacrifice, & also how people survive & fight back. Every time we watch it on New Year’s, it gives me hope.” Stories or movies like Casablanca can give one a sense of a) ennobling solidarity, b) perspective that making effective donations and reducing one’s bank account is both great to do, and an easier lift for us than (say) fighting totalitarianism has been for many
Ohh mugs are a great idea! I just found (ACE top charity) the Humane League’s gift shop: https://thehumaneleague.org/shop
Water bottle and mug are pretty compelling.