December 4, 2000
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Thoughtful Gifts
This is, of course, the time of year people ponder what to give as holiday gifts. I have talked about this topic earlier, in terms of what I don't want, and in terms of what a thoughtful gift-giver my friend Donna is. I'm not starting a list of things I want here, but I am going to tell you about some of the most thoughtful gifts I know about. They were all tailored to the recipient's needs.
---First off: my friend Donna came up with the idea to give me a bag of goodies ---things like foods and toiletries she knows I love. She has repeated this several times, and it is always most appreciated. This is a repeat gift. There's nothing at all wrong with giving repeat gifts as long as they're not something the recipient CAN get too many of.
---Another repeat gift: a friend gives his mother a year's worth of trips to her local hairdresser. He knows his mom really likes to go in for a weekly hair appointment, so he got in touch with the hairdresser and arranged to pay the bills.
---One year, my mother gave me a roll of postage stamps. It wasn't a hint for me to write to her; it was her being mindful of the fact that I did like to write letters (still do, but that was in the days before e-mail), and that the Post Office was off my daily path. I thought it was a lovely idea.
---A friend's dad and stepmother really had her wondering one year. She was in high school, but the gift they gave her was a child's handbag. She was trying to be gracious and appreciative, but she was wondering if they had lost their minds. Until she looked inside, and saw airline tickets for a trip to visit her mom.
All those reflect thought from the giver. I'll bet you can think of thoughtful gifts you've received. Come tell us about them---you might give us some ideas!