I am hailed among my circles as an expert gift giver. I begin listening intently to people’s conversations sometime in July, hunting for any word or phrase that suggests something they might want or need. I commit it to memory, and come November, I buy it for them. I wrap it expertly and adorn the present with a nice bow, all while drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music.
I am generally fraught with self-esteem issues, but I allow myself this bit of egotistical attitude: I can do Christmas. I can wrap any shaped gift, I can remember and deliver any present and I do it every. Single. Year. And, I have no plans to stop. Gift giving is my love language, and this means I thrive around the holidays. I love to give people gifts and I love to receive gifts from other people. Maybe this means I am shallow, but I adore having tangible reminders of people’s love, no matter how small or thrown-together they might be. I am Santa’s number one elf, and I will shout this from the rooftops. Buddy (of “Elf” movie fame) can go eat candy canes as far as I am concerned.
This is where the humble gift card comes in. Every year, I inevitably hear the phrase “No gift cards!” from one side of my family or the other. As someone who loves buying and receiving thoughtful, occasionally even excessive, gifts, I hate this rule. A gift card is too often equated to laziness, to throwing money at a problem. I believe that a gift card is a less wasteful way to show someone, especially someone you are newly acquainted with, that you care about them, without cluttering their space with something they may not enjoy. I would rather receive a Barnes and Noble gift card than another piece of clothing or a trinket that would inevitably sit around unused. When in doubt, a gift card offers an experience. Whether it be going out for a meal, going to a movie or shopping, a gift card can offer a variety of experiences to a variety of people. I would even prefer it if my best friend, who has known me for years, got me a gift card if she were unsure of what to get me, rather than a random object. Not everyone has to be Santa’s expert elf.
We need to bring back the saying “it’s the thought that counts,” rather than denouncing gift cards as lazy. The truth is, someone did put thought into it. Someone likely thought about what that person might want or asked other people what that person might enjoy, then went out and took time to buy or order a gift card. And, the truth of the matter is this: the holidays are not the easiest time for everyone. Some may experience grief for lost loved ones, while others may not enjoy the consumerism of it all. And that is OK. Let them buy gift cards, and please, say thank you.