Giving Gifts Just Because

From the time we’re very young… too young to actually understand the social expectations, we’re given presents.  Every occasion has meaning attached to the gift… the day we’re born, religious rites of passage, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, retirement… all these special days and more are so significant to our lives that we mark their passing and commemorate the moments with special keepsakes.  Each of these is important and valuable, far beyond any monetary assignment, because of the tradition that follows from one generation to another.  The marking of time, the ritual of the acknowledgment that we share life, is reflected in the gifts we give as reminders of our human connection.

While we all love receiving presents, for me, the greater joy is in giving gifts. It is important for me to recognize the traditional milestones in life.  I’m particularly obsessive about birthdays.  Rather than the counting of another year passed, for me, birthdays give me the opportunity to say, “I’m so glad we have another year ahead of us to share life.”  I mark that gratitude with gifts, cards, and off-key singing.  With the understanding that birthdays are the exception, the more distance I can put between a required response to a ritual, and ‘just because,’ the more meaningful giving is to me. 

Every day is to be celebrated, regardless of whether the date is circled on the calendar or not.  Surprising someone I care about with a small gift, a letter, dinner, or the dedication in one of my books in the middle of average life is a thrilling thing for me.  Why?  Because I get to gently jump out of an unassuming day and tenderly scream, “You’re amazing, I adore you, and I’m so happy we are connected in this life.” 

Giving gifts is my excuse to share with people how much they have touched my life, the impact they have made on how I think and feel every day in a way that means as much as saying, ‘Thank You’… with the added requirement of dusting a thing, and packing it every time you move, so you won’t forget how grateful I am that you have chosen to share a bit of your life with me.

Swimming deep in the pond of gratitude to Give Gifts Just Because is a Thing That Makes Life Worth Living.