I've just met up with a distant cousin for lunch and she brought me some lovely flowers. They're still in bud and I shall enjoy looking at them for several days.
I love giving things. The pleasure of giving is part of who I am. However, sometimes I have to restrain myself if I feel that the recipient will feel obliged to give something back. Sometimes the best thing to give is pleasure to the donor by joyfully receiving what they have chosen. I love receiving gifts, especially small, spontaneous ones, but feel sad when the pleasure of gift giving (and receiving) becomes little more than a tit for tat.
The gifts which I most enjoy giving are those which are home made. In the summer that is often a few flowers or
some beans from my garden, especially if I know the recipient doesn’t have such
home grown treats. In the autumn and winter
I can give jams and chutneys from my kitchen.
Sometimes I can give something I have sewn - tote bags are always
appreciated.
Next week I am hoping to visit
a friend whom I see only once a year.
She is quite a bit older than me and she has Parkinson’s which she is
finding very hard to cope with. She gets
very emotional when I phone so now I just send letters and I hope I am not
distressing her in that she can’t reply.
She and her husband used to come and stay with me for short breaks but
that is no longer possible. I have
decided to take a few photos of my house as she has never seen it. I know she will like to have something of me
to keep after I have left her.
Does anyone else have ideas
for small gifts?
I think your visit will be the best gift you could give her!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right but I can visit her only about once a year so I want to leave her with something she can look at again and again. I send her the occasional letter but that distresses her as replying is very difficult for her (although that doesn't worry me) and as I say phone calls are too much. I am hoping my visit won't upset her but I think it is important that I go.
Delete