November 6, 2020
At the heart of gift giving is thoughtfulness. It is not so much the item but the fact that someone took the time to pick something out just for YOU, and spent their hard-earned resources on your behalf.
I’ve been so blessed to be on the receiving end of some really beautiful gifts over the years. My girlfriends and family have thought creatively about how to honor a move, birthday, or milestone.
Here are four of those meaningful gift ideas:
1. A Rose Bush (or tree, plant, etc.)
One year for a milestone birthday, three of my close friends who live in other states sent my sister money for a bouquet of flowers to give to me on my birthday. They gave her notes to put with the bouquet.
The first note explained that each one had chosen a rose bush based on my personality which would arrive that spring. The other notes explained why they had chosen that particular variety for me.
They put this quote at the top of the letter:
“People need what plants need.
Someone to tend the soil around them,
give them some extra attention,
pull the weeds that threaten to choke them,
pour on the sunshine and the life-giving water,
sprinkle in nourishing words -like plant food and fertilizer – and wait.
The “repair shop” mentality won’t do,
because we are made for life in a garden.”
-Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
To piggyback on the rose theme, my sister had all of my local friends that year also bring a single rose to my door with a card. By the end of the day I had a dozen roses.
What a beautiful and touching gift! AND one that keeps on giving each year as the roses bloom. Just so beautiful and thoughtful.
2. A Personalized Collage (quilt, picture frame, or scrapbook)
When we moved from Salt Lake City, Utah back to the Pacific Northwest, my friend made a QUILT for me. But it wasn’t just any quilt. She had various people take the various virtues from the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and write how they described me (I mean…. SO touching and thoughtful and completely humbling).
There is even a flap to cover up each square. The TIME this gift took is such a sacrifice alone. I will carry this quilt with me forever as a symbol of deep love and care.
This concept could be easily transferred to a scrapbook page, a picture frame, or even a poster board. OR have everyone do a square or 8×10 page and put them in an album.
3. Recipe Cards
I love recipes, especially from people I care about. Whenever I’m making a recipe from someone I know, I pray for that person while I’m making their recipe.
One of my dear friends organized this gift for me. She had each friend or family member write one of their favorite recipes on a recipe card. Then, on the back, the people wrote a little note, their birthdays, things I could pray for, etc. They were all compiled in a box. I love looking at these cards…. and the recipes are fabulous!
4. The Gift of a Dream
One of my most memorable gifts came in the form of a writing conference. I had been wanting for years to carve out the time in my schedule for writing development but struggled to make time for it.
My family got together and bought a pass to a writer’s conference for my birthday – childcare included.
This gift did two things:
1. It honored a dream I had in my heart. How beautiful to truly be seen in this way.
2. It pushed me forward towards my dream by offering tools and time.
Honoring someone’s dream is a gift we can give to anyone. What is a dream you can acknowledge in someone else?
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