Gifts As Good As The Giver

Gift Giving: It can be hard, can't it?! It's not something I've always felt confident about - in fact, it's still not. My biggest problems are that my expectations are too high and my methods are too haphazard. I have these hopeful little daydreams about beautiful, one-of-a-kind, thoughtful treasures wrapped in thick French paper and tied with a color saturated ribbon ... AND...

My optimism is boundless. No matter the season, I always believe I will thoughtfully stumble onto the perfect gift for the perfect person with the perfect timing. And so, I hold off on something that may be great in hopes of finding something better.

And then I don't find something better, and the occasion comes and goes, and I lose the moment to time: No beautiful wrapping, no velvet ribbon, no happy presentation.

Dan, on the other hand, is a MASTER. He is drawn to things instinctively, and he acts on impulse. He doesn't wait for a specific date or occasion, either. He buys, and he gives - no hesitation.

He's a gift-giving superhero.

His list of memorable gifts is endless and beautiful. When we were young, he gave me a pocket watch. It was so surprising and sophisticated, and COOL; I'll never forget it. When my babies were small and he worked in San Francisco, he brought me vintage jewelry with tales of the street vendors he purchased from. One time, when we were arguing, he presented me with the ugliest, angriest, little vintage doll-lady, and I immediately forgave him for what I now can't even remember we were fighting about.

He's given his friends knives, belts, buckles, and trinkets. He gave my mom a stained glass window from a home he was helping demolish, and he brought Inga a bright red double-decker bus-shaped teapot from England.

He never misses.

Of course... I AM getting better with practice and time. Maybe one day, I'll catch up with Danny and wow him with just the perfect piece on the perfect occasion (hope springs eternal). Until then, I'll keep refining. And in that spirit, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve... 5 steps to becoming a better gift giver. Follow along this coming month for details!