You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
you love to receive them and you love to give them just to see the recipient’s face light up with a huge smile. But there is an art to giving gifts—the art of making the person feel special and without words telling them how much you value them.
There are numerous occasions throughout the year when the opportunity to give or receive gifts arises—anniversaries, birthdays and holidays. But these are not the only times to celebrate. Commemorate personal milestones—long friendships, graduation, shared accomplishments, or a job well done, and mark the occasion with a personalised gift. Then there are those ‘just because’ moments when you want to give a gift just because you feel like it.
To make sure you have enough time to think of and arrange for an appropriate gift make a list of special dates on your calendar and check it regularly, or now that we are in the technology age, set reminders on your cell phone, e-mail or computers.
Gifts should be bought keeping the recipient interests, personality and style in mind. Take the time and make an effort to find that perfect gift. Think about the person’s hobbies or interests—would they like something material or maybe a gift in kind, like a dinner at their favourite restaurant or a massage?
Gifts don’t have to be extravagant and expensive to be appreciated. Like the Spanish writer Baltasar Gracian said, “The great art of giving consists in this: the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated.”
A gift is a way of communicating respect, friendship, and appreciation. A thoughtful gift goes a long way in reinforcing personal relations as well as business relations because they demonstrate your thoughtfulness, awareness and generosity.
Here are some tips to help you decide the
perfect gift
Gift baskets: Fill a nice wicker basket full of goodies of the person’s interests…books, food, toys, candles, skin care, etc, then decorate it with ribbons and bows.
Keepsakes: Personalised picture frames, photo collage, photo albums, coffee mugs and t-shirts are very personal and memorable. For those who love animals, pets also make a great present, but it is not a gift that should be taken trivially. Pets come with responsibilities so make sure the person you gift an animal to is up to it.
Experiences: Candlelight dinner for two, spa packages, tickets to a concert, rock-climbing or other adventure options, all these add to creating great memories that will last a lifetime, even after the last chocolate has been tasted and the last gift opened.
Memorabilia and practicality: Apart from mementos like crystals and sterling silver items, many prefer to give items of everyday use like scarves, sweaters and electronic items. Gift vouchers are impersonal but some hard to please recipients would appreciate it more than a gift that they might just exchange!
Reduce, reuse, recycle: For the environment-conscious, there are numerous gift options that don’t put unnecessary pressure on the environment. Gifts like potted plants, antiques that also have a sentimental value, unusual discoveries like an interesting collection of shells and stones, handmade items made from scraps that challenge your imagination, or even a homemade cake or pie—they require little or no use of natural resources, and are very personal and memorable.
Now that you have the present, you need to wrap it. A nicely wrapped item adds to the charm of the gift and shows you went the extra mile. And no matter how old you get, you always feel excited unwrapping a present. Just plain old brown paper doesn’t cut it anymore! Get creative. Colourful ribbons and bows, dried leaves and flowers, handmade wrapping paper, fabric wrapping, the choices are as limitless as your imagination.
It’s the season of giving, so go ahead, give a gift, brighten up someone’s day…you might just end up brightening yours!
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