Now that sounds like the stupidest title ever, I'm sure...but if you only knew ahead of time what I was referring to, it wouldn't seem so stupid. This is an issue I am currently struggling with, but something that I feel very strongly about. The act of giving someone a gift (present). Now these can come for all sorts of reasons, but for the purpose of keeping this post short and sweet, we are just going to be referring to the pre-determined 'we must celebrate because we took the time to put these on the calendar' holidays. Here is my issue...
Call me crazy, traditional or just plain silly, but around the holidays I get really excited to buy people presents. STOKED even.. and I never use that word. It's just part of my personality. I love to buy things for other people. When it comes to giving people presents, I truly do base it on (and we'll just use Christmas as the example here because it's the easiest) how nice (or naughty) a person has been. That may seem lame or even very 'Night Before Christmas-ish' but that's just how I am. I don't believe that everyone should get the same type of gift or gifts that cost the same amount of money or any of that hoooooo haaaaaa.
I believe that presents should be given because the person on the receiving end is a nice person. You enjoy that he/she is part of your life and it's almost a way of saying exactly that.."I'm really happy that I know you...or that you're my mom..or that we are getting to celebrate another Christmas together because you're awesome."
When it comes to the less Hallmark-y holidays, should we really feel obligated to buy presents for people just because the calendar says so? I honestly don't think so and I really don't think that that makes me a bad person. I would never expect to get the kinds of things I do for holidays if I was a mean person all year, or if I didn't treat people with the kind of respect that I would hope to be treated with. It's just not the way I am.
So I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts? Buy presents for the hell of it or because the calendar says to do so? Let me know. And be honest!
Stay classy.
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I, for one, think people put way too much stock in the whole gift-giving thing. Now granted, I’m a guy and even as far as guys are concerned, I’m not very sentimental.
ReplyDeleteBut I am a firm believer that a gift has more meaning when it’s out of the blue and when it’s something you know the other person has been wanting or will like. If a friend buys me a CD that they know I’ve been looking for, that has a lot of meaning to me, even though it may be cheap. And when a guy buys a gift for a girl, I don’t think it’s the amount of money spent that matters, it’s whether or not he’s been paying attention. For example, if you know she likes a certain painter and you go searching for a print by this painter and give it to her, it shows that you’ve been paying attention. And that has meaning.
As far as the holidays are concerned, I’ve seen my Gentile friends around Christmas and even my Jewish friends around Hanukkah and the amount of gifts they give to their kids is truly staggering. Even my friends who don’t have much money to spend go all out during this time of year and it blows my mind. Kids are inundated with expensive trinkets these days and they appreciate these gifts less and less as they are given more and more.
I remember one year, when I was like 10, I really wanted a BMX bike for Hanukkah. My parents couldn’t really afford it, but they knew I really wanted it. So here’s what happened: They bought me the bike right before Hanukkah. As soon as they bought it, my Dad took the bike apart right down to the chain. He wrapped each piece individually and they gave me one piece of the bike each night for eight nights. Then my dad put it back together again.
Now, at the time, I kinda felt gyped. But I really wanted that bike, and in the end, I had the bike, so overall, I was happy. Looking back at it now, I think it was pretty funny. In fact, the only reason I would consider having kids now is so that, one day, I can play the same prank on my son.
But it also helped me understand the sacrifices my parents it made me appreciate the times when people care enough to go out of their way for me. Which is, in the end, really what gift-giving is. Someone going out of their way for you.
Yay for Gentiles! :)*
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