It’s a wrap

I love buying gifts for people I love, and I’m a darn good gift giver, even if I say so myself. My gift choices are based on the recipient’s taste and what he or she likes, not on my tastes.

So if Shelley prefers feminine, white gold jewelry with gemstones and I prefer chunky silver pieces, it’s white gold with gemstones. If Heidi loves Hermes scarves and the last scarf I bought for myself was in 1998, Hermes here I come! If Max loves jazz, I don’t buy him a new Rap CD.  If I knit a sweater as a baby gift, I always ask about the new mom’s favorite colors.

I have received countless gifts that had nothing to do with me. Clothes in colors I would never go near; jewelry I found downright ugly; books about subjects that completely disinterest me. Once, someone gave me a silk blouse, wrapped in a Lord & Taylor box. It had a slight, but noticeable, stain on it and was definitely not from L&T. I gave it away immediately.

“It’s the thought that counts,” goes the adage. I say: “Baloney. It’s the thought behind the gift that counts.”