Gift Giving - Needs Not Wants

It is that time again...time to buy all of those gifts for everyone on your list. If you are like me the older I get it seems like the less I buy or maybe my list just contains fewer people, I don't know. Either way, gift giving is actually fun to me. Yes, I said gift GIVING.

Often the gift giver gains more psychologically than does the person receiving the gift. Here is a nice article entitled A Gift That Gives Right Back? The Giving Itself by Tara Parker-Pope that was in the NY Times.

Honestly, I can say that I don’t really care about receiving gifts, and when asked what I would like, I almost always offer up things that I need. Yes a NEED not a want. Now, almost everyone else that I know always says they never want anything needed. They are quick to rattle off a huge list of things that they WANT.

So, this Christmas with the economy in its current state, and my newborn fascination with Green Living, my transition will begin with my Christmas list. I will be giving only items that recipient's need. Much to every one's dismay this does not make gift giving any less fun. Actually, it is more challenging to walk the line of giving someone a needed gift, but not making a statement with a frying pan or vacuum cleaner.

Personally this is not the year for any of us to be greedy, and just so there is no misunderstanding, I can be greedy. I grew up with wish books and other catalogs that were dog eared with items circled or initialed in hopes that I would receive them all, but alas that never happened. Did I suffer, no. I have no BAD Christmas memory.

My intent is to not create any BAD Christmas memory for you, either. So, when you receive my gifts of much needed things that don’t look anything like what you circled in the catalogs or added to wish lists online…please don’t be upset, and remember gifts are for the grateful. You even get to choose the amount of gratitude you pay.

And if nothing really sunk in while you read this blog then at least look at 15 Things Everyone Gets and No One Needs that way you can steer clear of being a bad gift giver, well maybe not a bad gift giver, just a thoughtless one.

Merry Christmas.