On Why I'm Not, Nor Will I Ever Be, "The Giver"
I'm sort of the worst at gift giving.
I'm pretty sure I didn't even score a single point in this category of the 5 Love Languages. It's just nowhere on my radar.
It literally causes me anxiety. I overanalyze every aspect about it. I pace the aisles of Target, picking up and setting down the same items over and over again, willing one of them to jump out and place themselves in my cart. I scour sites like Groupon or Living Social, hoping one of the deals will somehow magically be titled "great birthday gift for your male best friend who already buys himself everything he wants"or "perfect contribution to the family Christmas gift exchange" or "everyone else is buying houses but you because you can't afford one - here's something you can afford to congratulate them on leaving you behind in your singlehood and underpaying job."
I kind of wish every social event where gift giving is the norm came with registries. (Or Amazon.com wish lists*)
The thing is, I'm ridiculously indecisive. Like, obnoxiously, debilitatingly, exasperatingly so.
If I can't even determine if its something I will like, how in the heck am I supposed to know if you will enjoy it, too?
So let me take this moment to formally apologize, either from an event in the past or in advance, for the candle from the clearance rack, the book from Amazon, or the crinkled copy of some voucher with the price hastily sharpied out that I tossed in a bag with some rumpled tissue paper** and undoubtedly gifted you for your birthday/Christmas/job promotion/etc. Know that even though it appears as though I threw this present together at the last minute, I likely deliberated over it for a painstakingly and absurdly long amount of time because all I wanted was to give you the most perfect, appropriately priced, unique-but-reflective-of-your-personality present ever.
And instead, you get some mediocre "thing" and a long, heartfelt card scribbled in my messy handwriting, which you can't necessarily wear or use or display, but hopefully it does a better job of conveying the essence of what my poorly assembled gift fails to communicate.
For what it's worth, I tried...
*Do you see what I did there? ;)
**I'm equally as terrible at gift wrapping. I'm a shame to my mother, I swear.
I'm pretty sure I didn't even score a single point in this category of the 5 Love Languages. It's just nowhere on my radar.
It literally causes me anxiety. I overanalyze every aspect about it. I pace the aisles of Target, picking up and setting down the same items over and over again, willing one of them to jump out and place themselves in my cart. I scour sites like Groupon or Living Social, hoping one of the deals will somehow magically be titled "great birthday gift for your male best friend who already buys himself everything he wants"or "perfect contribution to the family Christmas gift exchange" or "everyone else is buying houses but you because you can't afford one - here's something you can afford to congratulate them on leaving you behind in your singlehood and underpaying job."
I kind of wish every social event where gift giving is the norm came with registries. (Or Amazon.com wish lists*)
The thing is, I'm ridiculously indecisive. Like, obnoxiously, debilitatingly, exasperatingly so.
If I can't even determine if its something I will like, how in the heck am I supposed to know if you will enjoy it, too?
So let me take this moment to formally apologize, either from an event in the past or in advance, for the candle from the clearance rack, the book from Amazon, or the crinkled copy of some voucher with the price hastily sharpied out that I tossed in a bag with some rumpled tissue paper** and undoubtedly gifted you for your birthday/Christmas/job promotion/etc. Know that even though it appears as though I threw this present together at the last minute, I likely deliberated over it for a painstakingly and absurdly long amount of time because all I wanted was to give you the most perfect, appropriately priced, unique-but-reflective-of-your-personality present ever.
And instead, you get some mediocre "thing" and a long, heartfelt card scribbled in my messy handwriting, which you can't necessarily wear or use or display, but hopefully it does a better job of conveying the essence of what my poorly assembled gift fails to communicate.
For what it's worth, I tried...
*Do you see what I did there? ;)
**I'm equally as terrible at gift wrapping. I'm a shame to my mother, I swear.
Comments
I have NEVER felt you hastily selected a gift. Every gift I ever remember receiving from you or witnessed you give another showed incredible insight, forethought, and love. Your cards may not be wearable, but fashion fades...notes from the heart never do.
Don't sell yourself short in the gifting department. You give so much of YOU with everyone around you.
I love you!