The Art of Giving
As the holiday season draws near in a year unlike any other, the GOODEE team has been reflecting on the act of giving and its significance. We asked six members of our team to share their thoughts on what giving means to them and the gifts that make a lasting impact.
The Gift of Nature
By Guillaume Bourrousse, Web Development
Leading a zero waste lifestyle is something [my partner] champions immensely and has influenced me to do the same. I’d say it took about a year of us being together and we had mutually inspired one another to make better choices regarding the way we live our lives. Nature is our greatest gift and giving back to her is how I can ensure I’ll enjoy her gift as long as possible.
Keith Haring 'Monsters' Art, skate and helping kids. Why ask for more? The Skateroom has it all.
Emma, the Sperm Whale Helping to protect the ocean by encouraging the production of the cutest stuffed animals ever has never been so easy. I really resonate with Carapau's mission and designs.
If you take a minute to look back on the many paths you chose throughout your life and where you’ve ended up as a result, chances are some of it will seem rather serendipitous in hindsight. My back-and-forth between France and Montreal wove a path that led me to Sophie, who, like me, came from France and decided to take a chance at life in Montreal. During my three-year stint in Lyon—where she’s from—our social circles overlapped: We ended up at the same events, even been in the same email threads, but never once met. Only after she had been in Montreal for six months, did our mutual friends finally introduce us and that was that.
One night, after watching the controversial documentary Cowspiracy that really, really put me off meat, I told her I wanted nothing to do with the stuff anymore. She, having not seen the film, wasn’t exactly ready to give it all up, but that’s one of the great parts about relationships, things affect you differently, which opens up more discussions and opportunities for change. Leading a zero waste lifestyle is something she champions immensely and has influenced me to do the same. I’d say it took about a year of us being together and we had mutually inspired one another to make better choices regarding the way we live our lives. We continue to do so, to push one another further. Over time, we’ve reduced our meat consumption considerably and leave a much smaller carbon footprint.
Now, I cycle year-round, I don’t fly anywhere anymore, I switched bank providers, because my old one was too heavily into fossil fuels, we eat local and seasonal (even in winter) and we are minimalist in our buying habits. I’ll only buy something new if I don’t have it, and if it respects some very precise criteria: sustainable, no plastic, made to last, and, when possible, made locally. Each of my everyday decisions is made in the spirit of protecting the planet. Nature is our greatest gift and giving back to her is how I can ensure I’ll enjoy her gift as long as possible. Was it Nature’s work disguised as serendipity that led my girlfriend and I to finally meet across the Atlantic? I’ll never know, but I’d say it’s all the more reason to see what else she might have up her sleeve and make sure we give her the chance to show us.
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The Gift of Art
by Alexia Jacquot, Copywriter
While I prefer to give other people’s art as gifts to loved ones, the intent is fairly similar: It is about giving something that is meaningful and will hopefully accompany the person who receives it for a very long time
Tiny Pakurigo Basket I am a huge fan of Baba Tree's. When it comes to gifting, you just can't go wrong with the Pakurigo Basket — a beautifully handcrafted piece of functional art (also available in a larger size.)
Kazuri Keychain Small enough to fit in a stocking, this is a unique gift that packs a mighty punch impact-wise. A lovely present for anyone!
Giving art that you created is like giving a little piece of yourself. It is deeply personal. When my 5-year-old applies himself to making a drawing with the intention of gifting it to me, I know he pours all his heart into his creation, and for me to have it and keep it means a lot to him. As he presents his gift, he usually launches into a detailed description of his project. Instinctively, he knows that art is always appreciated more when you know the story behind it. While I prefer to give other people’s art as gifts to loved ones, the intent is fairly similar: It is about giving something that is meaningful and will hopefully accompany the person who receives it for a very long time. Every piece of art essentially tells a tale, so what gives it meaning for them will always be the story behind the piece.
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The Gift of Food
By Dina Khalil, Product Development
A few weeks after my arrival in Paris, I started seeing a group of friends from the Palestinian and Lebanese diaspora. We would only gather for dinner. We were spoiling one another with our cooking and expressing our love through food. These moments were so precious and made all of us feel at home, something we really look forward to having again.
Dania Cutting Board This cutting board has the perfect size, colour and thickness. A great canvas for everyday's creations.
Edge Teapot Nothing keeps your tea warm like this terracotta teapot. A great mixture of ancient and modern.
When I was a kid, I preferred cooking shows over cartoons. And since I can remember, cooking has been a passion that never wavered. I started hosting dinners for friends early on, and after many years, it became one of the ways in which I communicate my love to the incredible people that surround me.
I have moved a few times in my life, and I always have these moments where I catch myself feeling amazed at how I’ve somehow managed to find myself in the same pattern, no matter where I am in the world or in my life. The scene is always me in the kitchen trying my best to make a nice meal with people on their way to join me for dinner. I would consider myself quite OK as a cook, sometimes I make good things, sometimes my experiments go a little beyond. However, I love learning authentic recipes and I try to honour them by making them over and over again.
A few weeks after my arrival in Paris, I started seeing a group of friends from the Palestinian and Lebanese diaspora. We would only gather for dinner—because there is no point in gathering if not for that—and every time, it would be someone else’s turn to host. Of course, each host always tried their best to prepare an amazing meal by serving up recipes and flavours from back home. We would spend hours talking about food and laughing about anecdotes surrounding it. Since confinement, we miss this ritual so much. We were spoiling one another with our cooking and expressing our love through food. These moments were so precious and made all of us feel at home, something we really look forward to having again.
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The Gift of Time
By Celia Spenard-Ko, Editorial
For a little over four years, our Tuesdays gave me the ability to see time: We would have these long-winded conversations about everything, then everything became a few things, and a few things eventually became the same thing, over and over, because of his Alzheimer's. Over the years, I always thought I was giving him my time, but looking back, he was giving me his
1917 Scented Candle I see aroma as being very much a part of the decor and different candles, incense, diffusers can transport you to different times. Also, since I cook a lot, it definitely helps with lingering garlic.
Bassi Market Tote I like being able to have tote options to carry my cameras in, so I'm not always stuck bringing my heavy duty camera bags everywhere I go. The Bassi is sturdy and roomy enough to carry the weight of my 35mm with an extra lens so I don't miss a moment.
My father and I were rushing down an escalator to take the Tsuen Wan line from Hong Kong to Kowloon when, turning a corner at the bottom, I saw it: a poster featuring a miniature aged man sitting on a bench in a dog cage. The tagline read something about the elderly and loneliness. It was a simple ad, not disturbing in any way—you could tell it was nothing more than some decent photoshop skills—but I was affected by it. Because for me, loneliness has always been the most unnecessary of human emotions.
I called my grandfather as soon as I got back to the hotel and told him I would visit him as soon as I returned home. A few weeks later, I flew back to Montreal on a Monday and by Tuesday we were having lunch. We went to a small casse-croûte he used to frequent with my grandmother. She passed a few years earlier so my grandfather spent a lot of time on his own in the house they shared.
From that Tuesday at the end of August 2015, I promised myself I would have lunch with him every Tuesday. For the most part, I kept that promise until circumstances had me move in early 2020. My mother lives with him now and takes care of him full-time, for that I am immensely grateful. For a little over four years, our Tuesdays gave me the ability to see time: We went from him driving me home after lunch to me driving him home because he gave up his driving license at 94 years old. We used to drink endless cups of coffee—neatly stacking those little plastic creamer cups because we both have OCD—until the doctor told him he couldn’t anymore, so I suggested he switch to hot chocolate. We would have these long-winded conversations about everything, then everything became a few things, and a few things eventually became the same thing, over and over, because of his Alzheimer's. Over the years, I always thought I was giving him my time, but looking back, he was giving me his.
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The Gift of Comfort
By Lara Assali, Merchandising
That throw followed me wherever I went, giving me the comfort and warmth I needed to make every one of my “temporary homes” feel more like a real one
Goodee Hoodie Dusty Rose The Goodee Hoodie is a soft and cozy oversized hoodie, the perfect buddy for any rainy day!
St. Pauls Scented Candle Candles bring a sense of comfort and warmness into any home. I love the freshness of the lemongrass and bergamot notes in the St Pauls Scented Candle by Frama.
For about a year and a half I was pretty much a nomad living between Beirut, Paris and Montreal without a stable home. I didn’t have a proper space of my own, no furniture, no real sense of belonging anywhere. Around the start of that nomadic year, my aunt—with whom I am very close—gifted me a cashmere throw she found in India. That throw followed me wherever I went, giving me the comfort and warmth I needed to make every one of my “temporary homes” feel more like a real one. When I returned to Montreal and put down roots, the throw that was once my only comfort, eventually became one of many that made home finally feel like home.
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More Good Stories
Choosing Gifts with Meaning with Architectural Designer Mitchell Sweibel
For this Montreal-based Architectural Designer, the art of giving is as intentional as his design philosophy — here’s how he selects gifts that resonate.
Bringing Egypt’s Artistry Home
