If you want to be a gift giving superhero, you need to do it right.
We have made gift giving a very difficult thing in our culture. We make it into a contest and with a pop quiz at the end (did everybody get enough stuff, did someone get less than someone else, is everybody happy with what they got,do they still like me, etc). We don’t enjoy the process, we make it a task list we have to complete (that is why there is fighting every Black Friday).
Gift giving should bring you joy, not a stress (finding and buying the gifts should also be a joy). The goal is to find a gift that will put a joyous look on the person’s face, and you get to enjoy providing that feeling. By the way, joy does not come from getting things.
As a gift receiver, you can add to the joy by giving a sincere thank you to the giver. Do not ruin the value of the gift by feeling the need to give something in return. Enjoy the gift for what it was, the giver trying to bring you joy. Don’t take that away from them.
Finally, if you find someone who feels they didn’t get enough or they deserve something else then don’t get them anything, you cannot make them happy.
One of the most fun times I have had was giving a gift to a forgotten angel (click here). You probably know the angel trees; a forgotten angel is an angel on the tree that does not get picked. Please visit the site (http://angelskc.org/) and see if you can help. It is a blast going to the toy store for a kid you don’t know and finding something they will love.
If you are not local to KC you probably have forgotten angels in your area. If you want to start something in your area send me an email and I will explain how you can help.
Another great post Josh. This is my favorite line: “Do not ruin the value of the gift by feeling the need to give something in return.” We’ve allowed oursevles to be overcome with consumerism in our culture and this line really illustrates the point.
We stress ourselves out too much when we think we have to automatically return the gift.