The Secret to Gifting Men, Women & Children
I know it’s late for Christmas but then there are birthdays and Valentines Day.
Yesterday evening I found myself at a neighbor’s house for a “sesonal stress releasing” party. The folks who were invited seemed ready to relax after the responsibility of thinking what to gift and to whom. There is anxiety in shopping for the right present whether the purchase be a picture on an iPhone to be received by mail in a brown box or an item from the shelf of Costco, Target or Best Buy wrapped in red paper with snowmen and reindeer.
Most everybody had spent Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day with loved ones. Talk was about the pleasure of being with husbands, wives, grown children and grandchildren.
Kids talked of rejoicing over various electronic games, plastic recreations of monsters, space ships, cars, animals, dolls and the latest novelty doo dad advertised on TV.
Wives and mothers spoke of the deep appreciation felt from receiving a piece of jewelry, a designer handbag or a couple of sessions at Hand and Stone. Praise be to the husband or partner sensitive enough to think such lofty loving thoughts. Kudos to the child who makes his mother a paper mache bowl in Cub Scouts, useless of course.
Husbands and fathers declared lasting love for the woman in their lives who cared enough to get them a Weather tech floor mat for his car’s trunk, a snow shovel, a battery operated drill, a new set of tires.
And wasn’t it thoughtful of his daughter to buy him drill bits for his new drill (Ok, maybe mom bought them but the daughter’s name was on the tag — so she gets the credit).
WAIT A SECOND: drills, floor liners, snow shovels, tires, drill bits?
Viva La Difference
Although I’m not comparing the three human categories in any other way than the appreciation of gifts, let the record stand that there is a great divide in the nature of acceptance.
When is the last time a kid experienced a genuine feeling of gratitude for an alarm clock to awaken for school, a heavy jacket, socks, teeth braces (for a smile with style)?
Or for that matter:
evidence a woman rejoicing over a new washer/dryer, a replacement for a leaky kitchen faucet assembly, a new trash can, or, for that matter Weather tech floor mats?
The next guy who would admit to wanting a gift that wasn’t utilitarian would be the first guy I’ve met.
Resolved
To please each other:
women have evolved to be pragmatic in their gift giving to men;
men have devolved to be impractical in their gift giving to women;
both genders are helpless when it comes to spoiling their children and grandchildren.
