THE ART OF THOUGHTFULNESS
It is the rustling sound of wrapping paper as you undress the book you were eager to read for so long. Perhaps, it is the handwritten note hidden between the pages that makes you tearful. The act of opening the gift may have lasted a few seconds; but the memory will last a lifetime.
To master the art of gift giving, one has to master the art of thoughtfulness.
The Art of Selecting Gifts
Whenever an invitation to a special event – a birthday party, a wedding, a graduation – arrives, it comes with the inevitable task of finding an appropriate gift for the occasion. The short way is clear and well-travelled. Choosing a generic product like a candle, a bottle of wine, or even a voucher, is a safe and quick solution. By choosing the road well-travelled, however, it does not take long to transform a sacred and ancient tradition into an obligation – another box to tick at the end of the day.
Gift giving has been an act of forming social bonds in human societies long before Paris of Troy offered the golden apple to Aphrodite. It evolved beyond the act of pure practical exchanges, carrying symbolic meaning that represented respect or even appeasement.
Sometimes, the gifts symbolized the exact opposite. For example, a politician offering a bull made of glass to their foreign counterpart may be hiding a taunting message behind an otherwise common decorative item. It all goes back to the invention of the Trojan horse.
Gift giving is an art as old as human society and treating it as a practical exchange of goods undermines its true purpose – the formation of strong social bonds.
Perhaps, someone could identify their true friends by the presents they gift them. It is not about their monetary value. As cliché as it may sound, it is the thought that matters. The attention to one’s preferences and daily rituals. Remembering their hobbies and the things that bring them joy.
The Art of Gift Presentation
The art of gift giving, however, does not end with selecting the present. Exchanging gifts is an experience; it evokes emotions that span from curiosity and excitement to surprise and tears of joy. Gift presentation is what can often transform any object into a thoughtful present.
You may have noticed that parents often favour wrapping paper over gift bags. Their choice is irrelevant to any practical or budgetary concerns. Wrapping gifts requires more care than throwing the gift into a bag; but the act of carefully folding the paper to cover the gift is reminiscent of the moments they tucked their children into bed. It is an act of care.
But the experience of wrapping gifts does not end there.
What they crave is seeing the joy and excitement on the children’s faces. The curiosity of what is hidden behind the colourful wrapping paper; the tactile experience of opening the present and revealing its content. It takes just seconds but it leaves a lasting memory they will cherish forever – both gift giver and recipient.
The art of gift presentation does not require excessive spending nor advanced DIY skills. Selecting a unique wrapping material to cover it, tying a ribbon around it and adding a hand-written note, instantly elevate the presentation of any gift, transforming the act of giving into a sacred moment.