Gift Giving Guy

Great gifts take time, effort and creativity, a generous use of our resources within our means. Gifts send a message about the level of intimacy and significance of a relationship. The key is not make the recipient feel beholden or uncomfortable by your gift.

Before I started this blog, the top Google search result for “gift giving guy” came from a forum discussion on dating. Here the gift giving guy was a red flag warning — a man who showered a woman with presents too early the relationship. For a casual or developing relationship, giving too much can unsettle or embarrass the giftee.

Within a close relationship, great gifts call for what psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck defined as the “work of attention.” We give of ourselves through will and effort. We sacrifice our time, our effort, and our money — all in the form of a significant gift that expresses friendship and even love.

We also express generosity with gifts that improve the community’s quality of life through philanthropy. Sometimes, when the choice fits, we can give to causes in honor of the giftee’s passions. That way, you give a gift that gives twice.