Presents

 


    I have a confession to make. I don't like buying presents. I especially don't like buying presents at Christmas time. 

    I wasn't always like this. C and I used to enjoy a day of shopping and lunch in downtown Minneapolis. We'd buy presents for people we know and for each other. We'd wander around Macy's, go to the auditorium to see the Christmas display and have lunch at the Oak Grill. It was a lot of fun. Now it's all gone.

    As I've grown older I've become a bit resentful of the present buying culture around Christmas. So much so that Thanksgiving has been nearly erased to make more time to shop. I've also lost my ability to find good presents for people. I have almost no idea what to give anyone anymore. I'm even having trouble finding little presents for St. Nicholas day. Most of my friends fall into two categories. Some of them have a lot of stuff and talk of clutter control. I don't wish to contribute to the clutter. Some of them seem to have everything that they need. What do you get the person who has everything?

    My rule about present giving is that if something makes me think of a certain person, that is what I'll buy. I'll also buy something if I know it is a product they will like. I bought one of my friends some tea, I know she likes but wouldn't find where she lives.

    One of the things that happens is that I tend to feel guilty when someone spends more on me than I did on them. An example of this is the present I got from my boss at the work gift exchange this year. I bought her a book about a local college football team that I thought she might like. Every time I thought of the book, I though of her so I bought it this year.  She bought me a nice canvas bag and added some aromatherapy shower tablets and an inspirational page a day calendar. Clearly, she spent more. I'm grateful for all of it as the bag will be quite useful for me, but I also feel guilty. 

   My favourite present to give or receive is the gift of time. Go out to lunch with someone. Help them with a task. Have a long phone call. Come to my house and have tea with me. To me this would mean more than something that might get tossed or donated in a few months.

    There is one present I like to give. Cookies. I like to bake and it makes me happy to give some of the treats to others. So today I'll turn on the Christmas music, maybe light a candle and bake. C will bring small plates of treats to our neighbors and people we know. 

    

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