Why I Like Giving Gifts

Growing up, my mom always said {and still says} that people only give gifts because they feel obligated to give them – usually for office parties. She herself never liked office parties. My siblings and I always had a lot of presents as kids, though the amounts did get steadily smaller as we got older. They were all from my parents. We didn’t have grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins giving us gifts every year. We did have Christmas once or twice at my aunt’s when we were little and we each got a small present, which we really liked. I remember my Hello Kitty toy was one of my favorites for years. We were also poor, so there were several Christmases where we were “adopted” by the local community through one of the toy denotation programs and we got a lot of presents from them. As tweens and teens, we were taught that giving is better than receiving {though why that lesson wasn’t reinforced by letting us fill a shoe box of presents for less-fortunate children, I have no idea}, and we were also taught the Golden Rule. When I unconsciously applied it to my life as a teen, it stayed with me as I matured and has since shown up in the little things I do now, as a twenty-something. So, the reasons why I like to give gifts are:

1. Because I never had all the relatives sending me tons of gifts or even one gift each year, I want to strive to be that relative for my future nieces and nephews. Since getting married and moving out, I’ve made it a point to get my siblings and parents something small for their birthdays and Christmas. It isn’t always what I want to get them {budgeting issues always seem to trump most of my plans}, but whatever I do end up getting them, they seem to really appreciate and like being made special. I made my Dad his favorite cookies for his birthday this year and he opened the bag so fast to try them! With a slightly bigger budget this year, we’re expanding to sending presents to my in-laws; something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. I give my family gifts to make them feel loved and special so they’ll have good memories to share with their children someday.

2. I want to be the friend that I wish I had. Don’t get me wrong, I have great friends. They just aren’t always the most on top of sending things out on time. And I’m not either; some of them have gotten birthday presents for Thanksgiving. But I always try to find a thoughtful just-for-them present to send for their birthdays. I can’t always get around to doing so for Christmas {that darn budget}, but they still get a card or packet of seeds. I could see how this would be a huge expense if someone had thirty friends, but thankfully, I can count my friends on one hand. *winks*

3. I want to be an example to my daughter. Very cliché, I know, but it’s true. In a world where receiving is more often thought of than giving when it comes to presents, I want my daughter to know how much fun it is to secretly learn what someone needs, wants or likes then try to find it, wrap it up and give it to them without expecting anything more than a thank you in return. The satisfaction of a job well done is very addicting.

4. I love giving gifts. It’s so much fun when I find something that fits someone so well or is exactly what they needed or wanted. I put thought, effort and love into the gifts I give – especially if they’re homemade. I almost never get what I want for birthdays or holidays, but I love the feeling of being able to get someone what they want. It makes me feel, for a moment, so needed and appreciated. And I quite enjoy seeing my husband’s face when I find him a thoughtful gift because he really is a challenge to shop for, the silly man.

So with half of my Christmas shopping done so far {the man still needs undershirts}, I can sit back, cuddle the baby and feel confident that I’ve done my best to brighten someone’s day this year by getting them a thoughtful gift, and I like that feeling. And that feeling is why I like to give gifts.