Webster Online Dictionary defines the term gifts as “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.” Yes, gifts are bestowed of our own accord to show that we care, and can range from a simple bouquet of roses to expensive jewellery.
Normally, we do not brood upon the kind of gifts received because the mere feeling of being cherished gladdens our heart! But if we were ever allowed to pick our own gifts, we wouldn’t back down either, because getting something we want from the person who loves us gladdens our heart even further.
So, why don’t you look at my top five choices!
Greeting Cards:
My sister lives miles away in Georgia and doesn’t have the opportunity to buy me huge or costly gifts on my birthdays. But she never fails to send me a card every year, and, believe me, I don’t want anything else from her ever.
Funny or serious; poetic or practical; kiddish or mature – cards always touch my heart. The little notes in a card make me smile, make me loved, make me special. I paste some greetings above my desk to look at them whenever I feel depressed. One glance at them reminds me that I am loved and this thought lightens my heart.
What makes cards even more extraordinary is their eternal lifespan! My dad gave my mom a wedding card on their first anniversary - they celebrated their 27th this year, but that card still lies in my mom’s closet! In fact, today is the age of online greetings. One click of the mouse button contains thousand dollars of love! Moreover, online greetings are easier to preserve than manual greetings because we can simply place it in our inbox forever, or could take a printout and stick it onto our door!
Greetings convey a lot in little and greetings can be preserved – do you still have any doubts about why I love receiving them?!
Innovative Poetry:
No! I am not asking for a Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson! I don’t care whether the lines are lucid or the language is perfect. But few self-written words can go a long way to cheer me up. For example, suppose I am sad, and someone pens these lines for me:
Life’s paths are rough
But I know you will smoothen them out
Cheer up girl
And conquer the world
I can almost assure that I’ll get the confidence to ‘conquer my world’! This little snippet will give me the confidence that big gifts can never give!
I remember my cousin had written two poems as a tribute to our lovely relationship and I can’t thank him enough for them. Those are the two of the loveliest gifts I have ever received! Lastly, poetry is like a greeting card as it can also be preserved forever!
If you want to impress me
Just write me few lines,
Straight-from-your-heart
In return you will get the most affectionate hug
Straight-from-my-heart
Furry Teddies:
I always joke with my mom, “MOM! Get me married to an owner of a factory that manufactures teddies. This way, I can get one every day!” Yep! That’s how much I love teddies. Whenever my parents ask me what I want from their shopping spree, phat comes the reply, ‘Teddy bear!’
Never mind that I am 22 yrs old! I am the proud owner of more than twenty-five teddies, and sleep with more than five of them everyday. They are my best friends – I talk to them, I play with them, I cuddle them, and even read to them! Weird right? But my teddies mean a lot to me. They reduce my loneliness and balm my soul. Everyday, I long for the moment I reach home from college, because I’ll be back with my teddies. And, of course, I long for the moment I go to bed because I get to hug my teddies. Whenever I leave for a trip I see to it that I bade good-bye to each one of them and kiss every teddy in my room!
Simply put, I LOVE teddies. But, sigh! I now have a competitor - my nephew! He is two years old and loves teddies too. My mom has since stopped buying them for me because, according to her, it is embarrassing that a 22 yr woman(!) and a 2 yr kid play with the same toy. Oh please mom! I cherish my teddies like no one else….get me some more!
Tenable Books:
Books, which form an integral part of my life, can also be maintained everlastingly. I love reading anything from Reader’s Digest to Biographies, from Nora Roberts to Agatha Christie, from Novels to Poetry. I must admit that I am not too much into ‘heavy ‘ topics such as philosophy, but recommend a book, and I’ll give it also a read!
Books are simply divine. Drowning in the words of another person gives me unimaginable joy! I never fail to carry a novel when I am on my bus, I never fail to read when I am eating in college, I never fail to pick up a book, put on my CD, and relax when I find time.
Apart from being intelligent pastimes, books are also indirectly useful to us. They increase our knowledge about writing(poetry or novels), forming coherent arguments, and knitting interesting stories. Through the writings of others we can improve our writing skills. And, well, as a girl who loves to write, books contain an invaluable library of information for me! What more, some philosophical or religious books have the power to transform our lifestyles and make us better persons.
The famous poet Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, * “A room without a book is like a body without a soul”
The above quote accurately echoes my feelings about books. I simply cannot live without them and hence they are precious gifts!
Sweet Bouquet of Flowers:
Red, white, pink, yellow – flowers come in all colors to spread different colors of happiness into our lives.
I recall another incident here. My sister had to stay in India for a year after marriage while her hubby lived abroad, due to visa issues. It was her birthday. Suddenly, someone rang the doorbell. When she opened the door she found that the visitor was concealed behind a vast bouquet of hundred red roses! They were from her hubby, who had thoughtfully given online orders to a rose company in India to hand-deliver those 100 roses! Of course, you can imagine my sister’s reaction – she couldn’t stop shedding tears of joy and spent 2 hrs whispering sweet-nothings to her hubby over the phone later in the day!
Well, my brother-in-law’s roses were a symbol of romance. But flowers can also be a symbol of friendship, of sibling love, of parental affection! And I love receiving them(have never received even one so far though!). Bundle up a bunch of flowers(not necessarily red roses and not necessarily hundred!) and send them to me. The moment I receive it will be one of the happiest moments of my life! I am nearly sure that I’ll save them even after they dry up and their color fades, because looking at the faded flowers will continue to make my day sunny….after all, the thoughts behind those flowers are ceaselessly colorful!
There ends my five choices - my five priceless G-I-F-T-S. I enjoy getting them anytime and anywhere. Hopefully, you equally enjoyed knowing my preferences.
Hmm, on second thoughts, I wasn’t completely truthful. There is a sixth gift that is equally priceless to me – your comments. Please post lots of them and fast!
