Art of Giving

I hope the trend cited in this NYT article on holiday gift giving is here to stay. The people in my life that I exchange gifts with are generally hard to shop for. No one has anything they specifically need or want, most would be happy not to receive any gifts at all. It is the thought counts way more than the actual gift itself. 

J for instance takes great pleasure in hearing about the process - why I chose what I did, when I did first think about it and so on. The gift itself could be of very trivial monetary value but the story makes it special. I am much like them myself. It takes time and thought for me to decide what to get - almost a meditative process. I may be mulling over an idea for a gift off and on until something inspires me. 

Recently I found a book I had read decades ago in a second-hand bookstore. As I leafed through it, reliving the nostalgia, I realized it would make the perfect gift for my young friend L. She is starting out her independent life after college and seems to have found the man she wants to spend it with. These are complex and exciting times when big changes and decisions will get made. I felt this book would make a perfect reading companion for her, perhaps even help her navigate. I have been lucky to receive gifts that are similarly meaningful. Definitely beats any run-off-the-mill, store-bought gift.