The Art of Gift Giving

Years ago, one of my exes bought me an over-sized sweatshirt with his favorite team’s logo on it…for my birthday.

“It’s too big,” I lamented.

“Okay, I’ll wear it,” he said.

Hmmm…

Then there’s the husband who buys his wife a set of pots and pans for Mother’s Day, so she’ll cook more. Or the wife who gives her husband a spa gift certificate “so he can relax” but secretly knows he’ll just give it to her (since he doesn’t like massages or spas).

There's the kid who buys his parents video games for Christmas.

Or there’s the house guest who brings their personal preferences to your house but calls it a gift for you.

“I thought I’d buy you this soap for your guest bathroom. It’s the kind I use.”

We can say, “It’s the thought that counts,” but when the thought is more about the gift giver than the gift recipient, that doesn’t really work.

Selflessness and honesty are the best policy when it comes to gift giving.

You bring me a new shower head for a bathroom I never use, it’s not a gift for me. It’s a preference for you. You actually should ask first when you’re a guest, but if not, just be honest and say, “I hope it’s okay that I bought a stronger shower head for your bathroom. That little stream of water wasn’t getting the soap off.”

You give me a sweatshirt for your favorite sports team, at least buy two – one in my size, one in yours.

You want to buy a set of pots and pans, don’t do it on a holiday. Just buy for them for the house. But if they’re to hint that your wife isn’t cooking enough, they’re just rude. It would be better to hire a cook for a week. Now that would be a nice gift!

You buy a spa day for your husband when he doesn’t like spas? You’re just being selfish. Buy him sports tickets instead, and you go to the spa while he’s hanging out at the game with the fellas.

Personally, I love buying the absolute perfect gifts for my absolute favorite people. It means studying them, learning their preferences, getting what THEY want, not what you want them to have.

Try it.

Constantly Thinking...about buying gifts...