Thoughtful Gifts

This holiday season is already in full swing. Black Friday and Cyber Monday came and went with a bang, although it was more like Black Cyber Week this year. However there are still gifts to be bought and plenty of people to make angry.

I try very hard not to buy into the hype when I give holiday gifts. I think about each people and spend as much time as I need to make sure I give them a gift that not reflects who they are but what the relationship I have with them is. Although I must admit that doesn’t always work out well. I had a sister in-law that I was not close with and so every year I bought her a cookie jar. Nothing special just the first cookie jar I found that year. I did this for about 4 or 5 years. Then one Christmas for whatever reason I decided I would buy her something more special. So I went and found this wonderful bracelet that I thought she would enjoy.

We all opened our gifts and she loved the bracelet. However after all the presents were opened she asked “Where’s my cookie jar?” I told her I bought her the bracelet because I thought it would be more special. She told me that she had a secret fondness for cookie jars and my brother never let her by any so the ones I gave her every year meant more than anything  else. I was shocked. I was giving her a thoughtless gift in my eyes but in hers it was a thoughtful gift. So when you open your presents this year be gentle to the one who gives you the gift you hate. To them it may mean so much and they may have spent days finding it for you.