Presents

Who doesn’t like receiving a present? Giving one can be just as rewarding. Yesterday it was a friend’s 78th birthday. What do you give to someone who has everything? Cupboards are already full of dishes and plates, the garden is planted to the max and ornaments take up every available space. Last year, Stephen and I gave Noeline a crystal, the year before a morepork for her front door. She loved them both.

I had an idea for this year’s present, but Stephen was not so keen. I could see it in my mind’s eye and although he could not, he agreed, as I was persistent. I got my idea from last Sunday’s market and the community fundraiser a few weeks back. Amongst the raffles on offer was a scratchie board, made up of a dozen tickets in varying denominations. That was my favourite and the one I placed my tickets on. One of the organisers told me that the board was always popular. I thought, what if I made up a smaller one for Noeline’s birthday? If someone gave me a present like that, I would love it but If Noeline didn’t like it, we would never do that again. To me, it was the potential that that present could hold, that made it appealing.

Noeline had arranged dinner at the Thai restaurant. Just as we were about to leave, Stephen informed me that he wouldn’t be coming. He had been feeling increasingly unwell throughout the afternoon and made his call at the 11th hour. I loaded the present into the car and drove the 30 minutes to the venue. I hesitatingly handed it to Noeline, not sure if she would like it or not. She didn’t open it at the table, rather placed it with her handbag to be opened later.

When I checked my phone this morning there was a message from Noeline. Thanks so much for the pressie, I really love it. What a brilliant idea. I am going to copy. Xxx.  I couldn’t have been happier with her response. I hope I am a future recipient.

I have my children’s and grandchildren’s presents coming up to buy for Christmas. I need to get onto the ones in the Gold Coast as cut off for postage comes around so quickly. The younger ones are easy to buy for, but planning for my children is slightly more difficult. Ideally, I like to give them something hand made or personal and have done that the last few years. Last year I made a calendar with photos I had taken and I added one to each of their birthdays so there would be no excuse for not remembering a siblings’ special day. The year before I made herb gardens for the New Zealand ones, using planter boxes I bought from the market. The year before that, I bought five little books and wrote a personal story for each of the kids, detailing how special they were, their strengths and my special memories of them when they were little. I wrote one for Daniel as well, so that Willow could read it when she was older. But the favourite present the kids enjoyed, was when I sorted through the box of loose photos and scanned these, creating a personal book for each of them. Jason loved his so much that he even took it with him when he travelled to North and South America.

I don’t generally buy for the kids’ birthdays unless it has a nought after it, like for their 30th or in Michael’s case this year, his 40th but I always buy for the grandchildren’s birthdays. Perhaps I should start buying for my own children each year again as it is nice to receive presents. My mother always remembered my birthday, sending me money for the last 10 years or so. Before that she used to buy clothes that I hated and could never wear. I found I could not buy clothes for my daughter, Renee, either and Renee is having the same problem with her daughter. Their taste in clothing is completely the opposite, as Renee’s and mine was and my mother and mine was. I was with Eva one day and she showed me her favourite clothing item. It is something I loved and would wear myself. Eva and I have the same taste, I think and although Renee has suggested not to buy clothing for her, I have already bought a beautiful lemon sweat shirt that I know she will love. I hope so anyway.

I have no idea what I will do for the children’s Christmas presents this year and fear I may have left it too late. I will need to sit down quietly and think about it. Perhaps I will make them all a scratchie board, just as I did for Noeline. After all, the potential is there for an awful lot of money and why couldn’t one of my children be that winner.