Struggles faced with gift giving

By Violet Burgess Staff Writer

Gift giving has always been seen as a form of showing love, appreciation and how well you really know someone, but why is that? Many people overthink their ideas when trying to find a gift for someone special, and sometimes start to think that they may not really know them as well as they once thought. The idea can consume people, and it can consume a lot of time. In order to give the “perfect” gift, you must put a lot of time into thinking about it. Another necessary step is making sure the gift is affordable and good quality. Finally one must think ahead and make sure the gift comes in time, and will not come after the gift is meant to be given. Therefore the amount of stress and overthinking that comes with giving gifts takes away some of the sentimental and loving value, and ends up defeating the purpose of the gift, which is meant to show your appreciation towards someone.

People feel that if they cannot find the perfect gift, then they do not really know someone. Everyone wants to get a gift for someone that will top all others, but how can it be a reliable way of showing how well you know and love someone?

People’s likes and interests change all the time, which adds to the struggle to find something just right. You can know everything about someone, and still struggle to think about what their favorite color is. This just proves that love and thought truly cannot be measured by a tangible object. In reality there is no such thing as the “perfect gift”, because everyone thinks in different ways and does not always appreciate the same things. Everyone has their own opinions, beliefs and interests, which makes it almost impossible to come up with something that will be used and loved in all aspects.

No matter what the occasion may be, most people will want to find the best gift and it can become a lengthy process. Some people may start to think they don’t really know the person they are getting a gift for, and can become scared that the receiver will hate what they are given. Many loved ones would not prefer a tangible item, and would rather enjoy simply spending time with one another. In reality a gift is not a measurable item to show someone’s love. Anyone can buy an expensive gift and make someone feel appreciated. This just shows that in reality a gift cannot truly express or show the love and sincerity two people have for each other.

Adding to all of the difficulties of sharing gifts, having to consider who the gift is going to, and the relationship you have with the person is an important step in considering what to get. Many struggles are faced when picking out a gift for a parent. You may sit and think and have no clue what they may want or be interested in. You then start considering if a homemade gift is enough or if they will hate it. With the idea in the back of your mind that a gift is used to express the love and appreciation for someone, many kids and teens will want to go above and beyond for their parents, but do not know what that gift may be. Also considering getting gifts for friends, many people may feel overwhelmed and have no clue what that person would love or hate. No one wants to get someone a gift they hate, but you can never know for sure if someone will love what they got and use it all the time, or leave it in the corner of a room to collect dust.

Giving and receiving gifts has always been a weird way of expressing emotions. Over hundreds of years we have used gift giving as a way of showing someone’s status, a way to reward one’s accomplishments, and simply just a way to show you love and care for someone. The idea of gift giving over all these years has stayed similar, and shows the idea of someone’s status or the love people have for them. In some people’s minds the better the gift is, the more the person is loved. In hindsight this idea is unreliable and can be deceiving. Many people cannot afford expensive and pricey gifts, however the idea and effort of the gift can mean so much more than the cost; a simple handmade card can mean the world to someone. This is what can make people think that their gifts are lesser and may feel ashamed or embarrassed comparing themselves to what others have gotten.

Gift giving also brings out a vulnerable side of people, and can show the feelings two people have for one another. This can be hard for many people to do, since they may not love the vulnerability of expressing their feelings to another. A gift can say so much, but it should not be used to show the value of one’s love. The idea of showing love through gifts can be very controversial, and something many people may struggle to perfect. The struggle many people face is that they do not like to show their love through gifts, or think love is shown by receiving small gifts. No one is in the wrong in their thought process, however it can create tension through relationships if not everyone has the same stance on the concept. Your partner or friend may love receiving gifts as a form of love, but if you do not feel the same way it may create the idea in their mind that you do not feel the same love for them as they do. It is hard to compare a tangible object with real love, but these gifts can be used as a reminder that the love with one another still stands. Gifts cannot beat real love, but they have their positive sides. The concept relies solely on how people feel about gifts, if two people use gifts as their form of showing affection then it is perfect The idea is different for everyone and can be seen from different angles, but love should not only be shown through giving gifts .