Season of giving

Coming up with gift ideas can be hard. From practical, useful tools that can help manage symptoms to the priceless gift of understanding and patience, there are many ways to be thoughtful and show that you care. Here’s a roundup of a few ideas, some from readers who’ve weighed in via the National MS Society’s social media pages, on the best gift they’ve ever received.

• The gift of life and positivity.
• A gift of service — vacuuming the house, a load of ironing, walking the dog. So needed when fatigue is bad.
• Just a bit of understanding, patience, kindness, non-judgment, hope, laughter and the understanding that this illness takes a huge toll on your body and mind.
• A puppy to give me the will to live.
• The greatest gift you can give someone with MS is to love them in spite of the disease. It takes a very special person to stand by, love and support us, knowing what the future may hold. That gift is a true blessing and the most precious gift of all.
• Fuzzy warm socks… my feet are always cold and they keep me company while getting MRIs… super cold in there. @MrsFigur
• My husband got me a tumbler that is a portable air conditioner. You fill it with ice and flip the switch and cold air comes out. We live in South Texas where it’s extremely humid. I’m not offended when I get MS-related gifts. That tells me someone took the time out of their day to really think about if what they are buying will make my day-to-day life easier, and that speaks volumes to me. —Pavi Cruz
• When I did my birthday fundraiser, I had a few people donate in my name to the National MS Society. I saw it as they used their hard-earned money to help fund research and a cure for something that is affecting me, my life and my health. —Leslie Anne
• Audiobooks. @SilverGorilla2