as i mentioned in my holiday musings post - i love gift giving. i think it's so cool to find something special for someone. to give them something because you love them, like them a lot or appreciate what they do for you. and you know what? i'm a pretty darn good gift giver. i keep lists all year long so that i don't find myself scrambling at the last minute. i wrote a post about that here.
but here's the thing - i'm at my best gift giving when it's for the wrong people. i can't tell you how many times i see something in a store, or online and i think:
"that would be perfect for the girl i work with because one time she mentioned that she liked those things!"
"this is the perfect gift for that guy i met who is a friend of a friend of my friend so and so!"
"i wonder if my girlfriend's husband would think it was weird if i got him this perfect gift?"
i'm always wishing that i thought of the perfect thing for the right people, like my mom or my brothers or my husband or my best friend...
I'm the same. I adore giving gifts, I absolutely love seeing someone's face light up, especially if the gift is "just because". But, like you, I'm great at finding gifts for the wrong people. I get all excited about Christmas and birthdays, thinking of all kinds of things to get - but when it actually comes down to it and I need to find something for my boyfriend or dad, I hit a complete blank. The worst part is, neither of them have a tendancy to even mention something they like in passing! So whenever either of them do I have to make a note of it so I don't forget.
ReplyDeleteBut I've always found the best gifts are ones you give for no reason. I bought my boyfriend a tshirt of his favourite character from a game, and he loved it - he seemed to love it a lot more than anything I got him for Christmas. Whether it's because these gifts aren't expected or something, I don't know, but people always seem more pleased, and the more pleased they are, the happier I am ^^
Plus wrapping gifts is awesome fun.
I completely understand it. I think part of it is that for people with whom you are not as close, finding a one-off gift is easier; whereas with family, you've been purchasing gifts for them for many years and occasions and thus it is more difficult to find something unique and thoughtful from what you gave them in the past while still fitting in the realm of what they love. It feels like a fallback gift rather than something new and exciting.
ReplyDeletei think that's a really good point. maybe it has to do with the fact that you Are closer and you Do what to find something really perfect And you can't repeat something from the past!
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