Christmas (or anytime) Gifting

I love getting presents.  Most people do, I think.  But I also love giving presents as much, if not more, than getting them.  It isn't that I'm so philanthropic, but I see gift giving as an expression of my love, friendship and/or caring for the other person.

When I buy gifts--even when I shop online and have them shipped directly--I spend a lot of time looking and considering what to get.  Oh sure, there's cost concerns, but within my limits, I try to find what I think the recipient will like.  Even when I have to shop at the dollar stores, I will peruse every aisle.  Yes, even the hardware.  You never know what nifty gadget you'll find there!

I will admit, there have been times that I bought something for someone just because I liked it.  I then hoped the other person would, too.  I've done that to my sister when we used to exchange stockings every Christmas.  We stopped that when I had no income, but have not resumed the practice.  I still miss that time we spent together, with our stockings that were used year after year.  No kids, no significant others.  We'd ooh and aah over all the little (and not so little) things that we found for each other.  Yeah, sometimes she'd get a mug that I really liked.  Or I would buy a gift book for my non-reading sibling.  But it was always a couple of hours each December that was just for the two of us.

To me, that's what gift giving is mostly about.  It's a great reason to get together and spend some quality time focused on each other.  Like today I had lunch with my two bff's.  We go out to lunch (Baker's Square, this time, YUM!) and we give each other the tokens of our love and appreciation for each other.  These two special ladies have been very supportive of me during my years of various difficulties.  Once in a while I wonder why they put up with me.  Have I been supportive of them?  I hope so, yet I think I've fallen short many times.  So the gifting is one way I can show them that I've been thinking of them and am trying to please them.  Not buy their friendship--never that!  But just to show that what we have is is valued more than mere monetary means would indicate.

So I get emotional in my gift giving.  I am grateful for the people in my life who care about me.  I just hope that I've made my point by my actions as well as words.