Contributed by: Jet on Saturday, July 02 2011 @ 06:25 am
Last modified on
When you give or receive a gift, whether it’s from a significant other, someone you’ve just begun dating or a new friend, pay close attention. Not to the gift itself; granted, that will certainly be the result of some hard thought and it’s worthy of appreciation. However, looking at how the gift was given - the method of execution - can provide illuminating insights into the gift-giver.
Consider your own personal traditions. How do you deal with the winter holidays? Birthdays? Do you like total surprises, or something chosen from a specific list? Do you like to be the center of attention? Is there usually a meal associated with gift-giving holidays?
Chances are, many of your own personal traditions were formulated growing up, maybe from your family, or as a reaction against them. Now consider your partner; they have their own unique set of traditions, shaped by their own experiences, their own values.
When people select gifts for one another, they try to find something they think the recipient will like; that’s not surprising. What is interesting is that when someone tries to make a gift meaningful or special, they’ll look at their own values to make it so.
For example: someone who values homemade objects might make a homemade gift to show their affection. For someone else, it may be that a more expensive gift shows just how much they value the relationship. Maybe the gift is an elaborate surprise; it’s the time and the consideration in the planning that’s the real present. Observe your partner when they plan a gift for you or someone else; you just may be seeing a glimpse of what they truly value and appreciate.
Thus, the next time you receive a gift, look at more than what you literally hold in your hands. Was your partner trying to get a plan out of you for weeks? Did they bake you a cake, or make you a dinner? By observing what they find special, you’ll be able to make the next celebration special for them, too.