The holiday season brings a myriad of stressful situations, so our gift guides seek to help alleviate some of the pressures of finding just the right gift for each person on your list. Our team has scoured the city looking for ideas to please everyone in your life, from the resident chef to the babysitter. While some of the legwork has been done within the pages of Ottawa At Home, there is still the need to attach careful thought to each gift.
I know that I am likely to be considered one of those hard-to-buy-for types! Truthfully, I don’t hesitate to pick up what I need, when I need it, and have even been known to indulge in a few luxuries for myself when the whim hits. So deciding on a gift for me can be tricky, but I always appreciate the simple sentiment of a thoughtful gift that tells me someone was simply thinking of me.
The very best gifts are often not the most expensive or wrapped in the biggest package. Nothing tugs at my heart more than a gift that tells me that someone took time to consider my interests. Like most of you, I love the gift-giving aspect of the holiday season, but loathe the pressure of shopping for something with no meaning. Insincere gifts are just that – empty tokens of money spent. I believe a gift giver gets far more than the recipient when thought plays a bigger part than the price.
A card with an expression that resonates with the recipient says so much; a playlist of meaningful songs; art that speaks a hidden language; a book that carries special meaning; and other small tokens that hold memories and messages, all offer more real and lasting value than lavish gifts or forced offerings. Although I’m a gal who can be dazzled by a glittering bauble that slips on my wrist, drips off my ears or dangles from my neck, I am always enchanted with the simplest of sentiments.
Thoughtfully yours,
Merry
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul
of the giver.”
~ Maya Angelou
Mary Taggart
