It's that time of year again, when we claim we don't want any presents, yet get excited when there's one with our name on it. The anticipation of an unopened present is exciting. Also, when someone takes the time to select a gift and put it in pretty wrapping, it makes us happy because we know that they spent some time thinking about us. If the item inside is pleasing to us, that's icing on the cake.
But what about the gift-giver? I found zero decent articles about why receiving a gift makes people happy, but a plethora of articles on why giving a gift brings joy to the giver. This does not mean that we should run willy-nilly into the nearest dollar store and stock up on trinkets to throw at our friends and family; when choosing a gift, if it's not sincere, don't bother.
For example, a long time ago, I was in a book club and was scheduled to host the December meeting. The meeting was several days after I had recovered from a stomach virus, and one club
member asked to reschedule the meeting because she was afraid of lingering microbes in my house. She had a valid point, so I gladly rescheduled it for the following week. When the book club ladies showed up, I gave them each a small bottle of hand sanitizer! This became my trademark gift that I have offered at other December get-togethers.
Last weekend, I attended a small social event, and I thought, why not give everyone a few extra goodies along with my usual gift? I packaged the hand sanitizer in gift bags with some individually wrapped tea bags and caramels (https://www.caramelsbysam.com/ ) and a sheet of Paper Voodoo* https://www.amazon.com/Knock-Paper-Voodoo-Note-12208/dp/1601061617?th=1 Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw the gift bags, and they were all pleased with the contents.
Why were these gifts a hit? Let's break it down:
The caramels were instant gratification.
Hand sanitizer is always appropriate, but more so in the middle of a pandemic. Plus, one squirt and they were ready to eat the aforementioned goodies.
The tea bags were something to enjoy later.
The teas were a variety of flavors that the recipients probably were not familiar with, so they had a chance to try something new.
The Paper Voodoo was something silly, fun, a novelty, and could be done on the spot and thrown into the fire, or saved for later (or flipped over and used for a grocery list).
These were not extravagant gifts, and the recipients did not feel pressured to give me anything in return.
Any items that were not to a recipient's liking could easily be given to someone else.
This is not a new idea for me; my mom always insisted that she didn't want anything and that I shouldn't waste money on her. As she preferred things that she picked out herself and had a house full of them, I could see her point. Still, I couldn't leave her empty-handed on Christmas. My solution was to fill a gift bag with practical items that she would use, even if she didn't need them quite yet. Some of the things** I put in the bag:
a notepad
a package of pens
postage stamps **I made sure I knew what
hand lotion brands my mom preferred.
deodorant
a toothbrush
toothpaste
floss
emery boards
nail polish remover
a crossword puzzle book
Just to get a little crazy and extravagant, I included a gift card to a casual restaurant. I also added a cat toy, because we all know that cats will play with anything, but the fancy toys are for the owner's enjoyment.
Giving those little gifts really put me in the Christmas spirit! If you are still shopping for the perfect gift for someone, you have a few days left until Christmas, so don't panic too much. Remember that "perfect is the enemy of good" (attributed to Voltaire), meaning: a gift doesn't need to be expensive or trendy as long as it is sincere. Here are some more tips on gift giving: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/head-games/201911/the-psychology-gift-giving-3-lessons
*No one was cursed with the Paper Voodoo. All actions were positive.
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