Boy Meets Girl (August 12th)

    Gift giving is a tricky business. Today, as I was scouring the stores for the “perfect” wedding present for an old friend, I realised how easy it is to become attached to our gifts – not as receivers, but as givers.
    As givers, we want our gifts to be just right. We don't want them to appear cheap or tacky or thoughtless. We want the receivers of our gifts to take one look at what we've given them and think, “Wow! This is awesome!” Because secretly, we want the recipients to appreciate just how much time and effort we've put into choosing their present (or maybe that's just me?).
    I always find it thrilling when a loved one opens my gift and starts to gush. Not in that fake way, mind you, but when I can see in their eyes that my choice was just right. On the other hand, when I've spent hours trawling around the shoppings malls for that perfect present, and then the receiver says a quick “Thanks,” and tosses it onto the pile with the rest of the unwanted gifts, it can be pretty disheartening.
    “But don't you love it?” I feel like crying. “I choose it just for you! Look at how thoughtful I am!”
    As I said, it's pretty easy to get attached to gifts that don't belong to us.
    So in an effort to let it go, I've told myself that whatever my friend thinks of her wedding present, is really none of my business. I'm happy with my choice of gift – and for me, that is enough.