<p>My father in law loved history, and covered bridges in particular. One summer, when S was about 6 or 7, we went on a long driving/camping vacation all over Pennsylvania. We loved caves so we visited about 6 of them, and we carefully planned our route to go by about 10 or more covered bridges. We stopped at each one, took pictures (always at least one with S in it), and jotted notes about the history of the bridge. When we got home, we looked up all the bridges and made a book with the pics, and historical and structural info about each bridge, and gave it to Pappy for Christmas. He loved it, and we loved making and giving it.</p>
<p>I have to think a little more about the best gift I ever received…</p>
<p>When I was single and in my twenties, my BFF made me a complete holiday meal for Christmas (turkey, Mac & cheese, candies yams, cake, etc). She knew that I hated to cook and was a terrible one to boot! She was an excellent cook and I feasted off of it for several days! </p>
<p>Over twenty years later, I still tell people that it was my favorite gift. I wish she’d do it again!</p>
<p>My mom gave me a solid silver bracelet when I turned 21. She didn’t give many presents, mostly cash, so I treasured it.
I gave it to my oldest when she turned 21.
But she doesn’t speak to me, only to say she " doesn’t know what kind of relationship she wants with me", I doubt the bracelet means anything to her.
And my mom died five years ago. I miss the bracelet, I used to wear it constantly.</p>
<p>I have a wall hanging in my family room made of felt pieces of two native children from the country where I was born. I got it 40 years ago so beginning to age. Last Christmas, my youngest made a cell phone cover with the same picture on it. I treasure that thing and the time he spent making it even though I don’t use it much so it won’t wear out. Just knowing that he knew how important it was to me is priceless. </p>
<p>My kids have given me many things like that. They see I need something, or would like something that I won’t buy myself. That’s what’s important to me. Not the gift itself or the amount they spent but that they took time to think about it.</p>
<p>There are 22 grandchildren on my side of the family so every year they cousins all pick a name and give one cousin a gift. Kids rage in age now from 34 to 10. We have also added any spouses to the mix so there are a bunch of them. These kids spend so much time thinking of the exact right gift to give that it makes our family gathering so special. One year an 8 year old cousin gave a 28 yr old male cousin Kermit pajamas with feet. The mom was worried that he’d hate it but the little one insisted so in the spirit of the gift giving which was that the CHILD picked out the gift she let her. My son was so touched by that gift that he had tears in his eyes. He still has them and actually wears them. Mom was so surprised to find that when my son was little, that was his favorite character and somehow her daughter knew it.</p>
<p>My favorite gift was for my 31st birthday – S1 was 25 months, S2 was 10 months. He put me on a train to NYC for three days to see friends, hit museums, sleep and be a non-mom adult for at least a little while. Priceless.</p>
<p>Three years ago my parents’ dog died. I had a photo of her which I had printed on canvas for them. They both balled their eyes out. Still hangs on the wall.</p>
<p>I think some people are just really particular, ( which I can be), so sometimes people give up, if they are unsure what you’d like or if you already have it.
My H is not a great gift giver, but my youngest often gives me clothing or jewelry or a book that I just love. We don’t really have similar taste ( that is I don’t dare buy anything that hasn’t been described in detail), but she has a knack for noticing what I like.</p>
<p>I had an Aunt who had red hair, and always gave me clothing gifts in colors I cannot wear. Once, when I was in my 20’s, I told her I had my eye on a book of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, beautifully illustrated, costing $25. She told me to buy it. I brought it to her house, she wrote on the cover page, and we read together. That set a tradition of me buying my gift with her $25. I think I feel nostalgic tonight, as I used her $ to buy myself a Disney T, with queen Malificent (sp?) and I’m wearing that now. I use to kid her that she gave me the best gifts. </p>
<p>When my kids were young we took lots of video of them. But we gave up our VCR years ago. An uncle of mine took all the videos I’d sent to my mom over the years, and put them on DVDs. It was such a thoughtful gift. Made me very happy, and cost him not much besides time. </p>
<p>I spent one Holiday Season at Parris Island waiting for more Marine recruits to arrive so we could begin training. One night I wrote a poem to my girlfriend, and my bunk mates saw it and asked me to write poems for them too. So I asked them who were “we” writing to and then gave them short poems to mail to their sweethearts.</p>
<p>I never got any feedback from them, but I did get some homemade cookies out of the deal. </p>
<p>I’ve received some special gifts over the years, but some stand out. There are the dresses from my dad (see the other thread)-my favorite was the one he found that WASN’T a maternity dress but still fit me at 9 months pregnant, and being a sweater dress, still fit AFTER I had my fist child. My ex once went to every make up counter in the entire mall trying to find me a metallic gold lipstick he thought I wanted. The thought and effort he put into it really touched me and even though we’ve been apart for 20 years, I still think it was one of the nicest gestures. My mother worked in a jewelry/antique shop and had bought a pretty silver/turquoise ring on a buying trip to AZ that she kept for herself. I have always loved SW jewelry and always admired it. For her last Christmas, she gave it to me. I’m actually wearing it now.</p>
<p>The best gifts I’ve given? My son, then 3, wanted a stop sign to stop at when he rode his toy cars. I actually found one and he loved that thing. A couple of years ago I got a small bottle of my mother’s favorite perfume-Shalimar-and gave it to my younger D. She loves scents and loves hearing stories about my mother and it just seemed like something she would appreciate. And I was right. It’s like Mom is with us when ever she wears it. For my H’s birthday one year I found a baseball autographed by one of his baseball heros-Buck O’Neil. Gifts that are personal mean so much to the recipient. I try to pay attention to what is important to the people I love.</p>
<p>My dad loved the holidays and put a lot of thought into gifts for each person - he’d grown up very poor and took great delight in being “Father Christmas”. Over the years, he enjoyed purchasing the newest stereo equipment (think when CD players came out) or gadget. One year he bought me a car. I had two children, lived in the suburbs and my car died. We literally had no means to replace it, so Dad bought me a new one. That wasn’t the best gift though, in my mind - as a child he had a set of books based upon scripture that he’d kept for many years - when I was young I enjoyed reading through them, and the Christmas before he died Dad gave them to me with notes he’d written about what he’d learned reading those stories so many years ago. Still the best gift ever. </p>
<p>Love the Kermit pajama story. I love handmade items by my kids. Favorite is a picture that my son painted me for Mother’s Day of a mother and child elephant. He spent several weeks on it along with the rest of his homework. It’s hanging in our living room. He then tried to do an elephant sculpture for Christmas, which did not go as well…</p>