How to Give Meaningful Gifts

I enjoy giving gifts. It is something anyone can be good at if one is willing to take the time to do it, I laid out the how to's in this Father's Day post. Today however I wanted to approach it a little differently, well not that differently, we all learn by example and that's what I want to share. Examples of meaningful gifts, anyone can give a gift but a meaningful gift can have real impact on someones life. Think about a meaningful gift that you have been given at some point in your life, why do you remember it? How did it make YOU feel, that's why you remember it - right, the feeling that someone cares, someone loves you, someone was thoughtful, someone listened, someone knows you well enough to know what matters to you. When you are given a gift like this you may be flooded with emotions like gratitude, humility, love, emotions that bring joy into your life. The memory of the gift you are thinking of has enriches your life, don't you want to do the same for someone else.

When I started thinking about all the gifts that have been given to me over the years this is the one I would like to share today, I would share more but I don't want the post to go on forever. 

When you're married you know what your spouse is into what is on their wish list, you want them to have these things, their wants become your wants kind of thing. Well my hubs has known that I have regretted that I never did band in school and learned how to play an instrument. I LOVE MUSIC! I have always loved the cello. Well he is more disciplined then I am and saves money up for specific more pricey items over the course of year or more. We were in the middle of law school (which means we were super tight, heck we still are)  and he surprised me with a cello for my birthday. The gift of the cello was shocking and exciting but was made all the more sweet and touching because he sacrificed the money he had been saving for over a year to get me my cello when he had just reached enough money to get what he had been saving for. My cello is a constant reminder of his love and willingness to sacrifice for my happiness. 


Jane is hear from Adventures In Dinner to share a memory of a meaningful gift given to her..."My most memorable gift. I'm lucky-I don't have any doubt about that.  I have a great family, friends for life and a job that I actually love. That's really life's trifecta isn't it?  As a result, I've gotten a lot of gifts over the years that made me really happy but I'll describe one from long ago that went beyond the actual gift. You see, my Dad was a police officer and when I was growing up-he investigated murders. Bear with me-this is a Christmas gift story. Christmas for a lot of people is a really stressful time and as such Dad was often 'busy' at holiday time.  All the officers would have to take a turn at being on-call and you'd cross your fingers that nothing would happen that would keep you away for Christmas. When I was 7 it was Dad's turn to be on-call and we all waited with bated breath.  A call would mean that Dad would be gone for at least 6 weeks.  Sure enough, late, late at night about two days before Christmas Eve the phone rang and Dad was off to Northern Ontario.  Mom was devastated, it would mean we wouldn't be going to our family farm with the 30+ relatives and warmth and comradery.  We'd be alone; my mom, sister and I-"The Gibson Girls". Dad was at least an 8 hour drive away. Christmas Eve we talked to him on the phone, had hot chocolate, left cookies for Santa and went to bed after watching Elvis croon about a "Blue Christmas". We knew he wouldn't be home for at least a few weeks. Christmas morning dawned and we woke up to the sound of the door opening.  My sister and I both got up and ran to door thinking that maybe it was a guy in a red suit that decided to try a door instead of a chimney. It was Dad. He'd driven 8 hours to see us open our stockings and was going to drive right back but in the meantime he was home with 'his girls'." 

Natalie is hear from NatSprat to share her story about a memorable gift.
"I don't really remember much of my Christmases from when I was little...but one that I do remember was the year when things were really tight. Of course I didn't know it at the time, my parents didn't want us to know. But I remember my mom made us all these stuffed toys. My brothers got these giant lizard pillows and my sister and I got these beautiful rabbit dolls with pretty dresses and petticoats. It must have taken her weeks to sew all of these things! It is one of the few memories I have and one of the few things I have left from my childhood. Now that rabbit doll is one of my daughter's favorite toys."

I always love to hear from you and would love to hear about one of your most memorable gifts or any tips you may have on meaningful gift giving.

Muah!!!