I take my gift-giving very seriously. I spend a great deal of time carefully contemplating what would be a gift that would mean the most to the recipient. To me, being able to pick out a gift that is meaningful for the receiver is an expression of love.
But there are a couple of very special people in my life who cause me to scratch my head and wonder just what would be the most meaningful gift. They are at a stage in their lives where they don't need any more stuff and if they did need stuff, they certainly are in a favorable financial position so they could purchase what they want or hire someone to help them or even build/make it themselves.
Every Christmas I worry about what to give them. Today in the mail I received a brochure from World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that provides food, animals, medicine, etc. to children throughout the world. The brochure said a donation in someone's name would make a wonderful gift. I paused a moment to think about how I would feel if someone made a donation in my name and said that was their gift to me. I decided I would be OK with that. Then I wondered if that would be very presumptious of me to think that our parents would feel the same way and be OK if we made a donation in our their names & made that our gift to them. What if they would rather we choose a different organization? Or what if there is something they really want and I somehow have overlooked it?
I've been thinking about this all day and, unfortunately, I am still far from knowing what to do. I ran it by David and he said, after quite a pause, "Hmm, that's odd."
Bother.
4 comments:
For what it's worth- it doesn't seem odd to me...
Dadio
First of all...Heather you are so awesome! My sister did that with her inlaws and I thought it was a fabulous idea. I also am very particular about gift giving and I am too practical for my own good. But when it comes to Christmas gift giving it is about the Savior. It's beyond whatever you give and whoever receives, the gift is a symbol of Christ's gift to us. What a more perfect gift than giving a goat, a cow, ten chickens etc... to a family that will change their lives!!! I think when you explain why you did this kind of gift your loved one would be touched...I know I would be!
My parents have done this! they donated money on behalf of all of us and bought goats for villages! Along with enough money for their care and feed for a year. I loved it! Just be sure the company is on the up and up!
I need a piece of plywood cut to fit the back of my car then padded 7 recessed handles added so I can load & unload my harp by "I"self.
Heifer International is one group that does this - the Lace Knitting retreat donated a wool-producing sheep in honor of Myrna's birthday one year.
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