Ironically, even though this is the season of joy, one of the major components of it, gift exchanging, can cause the most stress. Giving and receiving gifts in a relationship is an important exercise in love and acceptance. So why does it sometimes go terribly wrong? To help you this holiday season, I am giving you some concrete tips that will hopefully make gift exchanging joyous rather than stressful.
- When you are with your mate throughout the year, take a mental note and written one, if necessary, of the things he or she has mentioned he or she likes. Giving a gift to your mate that even he or she has forgotten about can create such a surprise.
- When you give a gift to your mate, make sure to share the story behind the gift. Every gift has a story that goes along with it. How did you find it? How long did it take you to find it? Telling the time and effort it took to get the gift is much of the love behind giving it.
- If your mate gives you a gift you don’t like, refrain from saying, “I don’t really need this,” “How much was this?” or “I didn’t ask for this.” Inside every man and woman who gives a gift is a little excited kid really wanting you to like the gift. Remember, it’s not the gift, but the effort and love with which it is given that is important.
- If you receive a gift that is the wrong size, it’s okay to take it back for the right one. Maybe your mate and you can go together to make the exchange.
Leave a Reply