Gifts

Christmas season is firmly upon us, and no one is complaining about it now that we're past Thanksgiving and the ugliness of Black Friday. I never have and probably never will participate in such a thing as that, but I do certainly participate in gift exchanges. As the act of shopping is not something that I delight in, I don't much enjoy the procurement of gifts. A common refrain for me is "I hate this. I hate this. I hate this."

Of course I do it anyway, which is a testament to how much the intended recipients mean to me. It's actually an instructive experience. Ideally, the selection of a gift is very easy. If I know the person as well as I should, then it should be a very simple matter to settle on one of many interests and needs that I am familiar with in the specific person's case and then buy something that pertains to said interest or need. Sometimes I find I don't really know the person so well.

The receiving of gifts is not much easier. I'm asked sometimes what I would like to get, and this should be very easy. Who do I know better than myself, after all? Somehow it doesn't work out any better to pick out the things that I would like to receive myself. Somehow I don't respond very well to a receptive audience. Getting the things I want is somehow much easier than asking for them. It's funny, therefore, that I should have disdain for gift cards.

Somehow I will persevere in the yoke of getting gifts and showing my appreciation for the wonderful people in my life who have contributed so heavily to putting me where I am. I have as yet taken no steps to complete my end of the responsibilities, but the pressure is mounting and it will be done with in a matter of days. The hard part, really, will be wrapping the gifts. Maybe I'll put some extra thought into only buying gifts that are easy to wrap.