i promised corissa, one of my coworkers (see 'c and s' under 'cocodrilos') that i would post this (and it is the only way that a handmade gift comes my way as well). so read below and pay it forward.
this is how it works...the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift from me during this year. when and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to receive the gift, you have to pass this message on to others first (through a blog, E-mail, conversations, etc.). so, you have to pay it forward. Understood? now let's see who will receive a gift from me.
it is ironic that i am posting this. not necessarily ironic, but hypocritical? maybe dichotomous? i don't know the word i am searching for, but my family will understand. i am not always the most gracious gift receiver. don't get me wrong, i love gifts, but i don't like holidays that "force" people to give you gifts. on top of this, i like spending a lot of time researching before i buy something - in short, i am not an impulse buyer. and so when i receive a gift i seem to always find something to comment on or find a way to reason why i don't need it or that i didn't want the giver to spend the money on it. i should trust that when people give gifts that they have put the time and thought into what they are giving, but i know from my experience that it is hard to work on a deadline to give a gift (without having to just ask that person what they want and ruining part of the special nature of gift giving in the first place).
which brings me to my next second point - surprises. i like for gifts to be surprises. and i am not good at keeping surprises or letting surprises happen. so if there is any hint that i am getting a surprise, i usually ask so many questions about it that i ruin it. and, vice versa, i easily crack and give details about a surprise when people ask. and so to be a surprise, there should be no mention beforehand about that surprise. but holidays which include gift giving take away part of this surprise, because you know you will be receiving something. just another reason why "forced" gift giving is hard for me to accept.
one way to address this, though, is one of the best types of gifts/surprises - the forgotten kind. so a mention of something (like the handmade gift that corissa will be giving me) and forgetting about that "promise" and receiving it later having forgotten that something was coming. it makes for all the better because in forgetting you have lost any hope that you did have after first hearing (accidentally or purposefully) about the gift/surprise, and so when finally receiving it your hope is restored which makes the gift more meaningful.
a final point is on types of gifts. gifts you can buy are great, especially if they are unique, handmade and specifically meaningful to the gift receiver (or to the gift receiver and giver alike). even better are handmade gifts by the giver. and equally as great are written words that either come with the gift or are the gift itself and are expressed on any sort of medium from the giver to the receiver. an all time great gift is just showing up to express these things in person. also on that all time great list is a gift that is a surprise to both the giver and receiver.
in closing, my ideal for gift giving and receiving is this: i like running upon something and that something reminding me of a certain person and then getting that something for that certain person and giving it to that certain person at an uncertain time.
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