What’s The Point of…Buying Gifts for Them?

 

The year is all set to end, and while you are relieved, here come the invitations to family gatherings and parties that come with strings attached. You’re not just getting an invitation. You are being compelled to arrive with a gift or find yourself in a position to hear multiple taunts about coming empty-handed. Who comes to a party without a gift? 

It’s like a ticket to the party. Nothing comes free, and the entry to the event is definitely priced at one gift, which must be priced at a reasonable amount. 

But it’s okay. It’s one gift. One party. One obligation to a social event. 

So off you go, spending your free time looking for the perfect gift or searching online for the one thing that will not break your wallet. After scrolling and searching for hours, you’ve found it: the perfect gift. 

Or what you think is perfect. 

On the day of the party, you go with a smile and carrying a bag of gifts you meticulously searched for and bought with your hard-earned money, only to be met with a skeptical look by the receiver. 

The box is too small. The gift inside is generic. Other guests have already gifted them the exact same thing, and in a better color. The size is all wrong. It’s either too small or too big. Did you think they are that fat? You didn’t put enough thought into the gift. And worse, you are looked at suspiciously. Did you just gift them something that was already gifted to you? Did you give them a secondhand gift? 

There goes your festive spirit. The host may have politely accepted it, but throughout the night, you see their eyes on you, full of contempt and suspicion. You clearly didn’t care enough to read their mind and ask for their budget before you bought the gift. 

And you just got one small, measly one when it’s supposed to be for a family of five. What are the rest of the family members supposed to do? Watch while only one person uses it? 

And if you think a box of chocolates would do it, guess what? You got the wrong brand and the one in the cheapest price range. Plus, one of the hosts has diabetes and now thinks you’re insensitive by bringing chocolates into their home. 

All this trouble, and you didn’t even get them the right gift. How could you!

So, think about it if you will. Why not spend that amount of time and money on yourself? Do you not deserve nice things? 

When was the last time you gave yourself a treat? You work hard, put your blood and sweat into every effort, spend responsibly, and at the end of the year, the only party that you go to isn’t even joyous. It’s a test to see how much you care. 

How about throwing some of that care to yourself? Go to a store, or find one online, and get the one thing that will prove that you take care of yourself and deserve to be pampered. 

Why must you shortchange yourself all the time? You don’t have to be antisocial during the holidays, but you can put yourself first and buy the new socks you didn’t have time to buy yet. Or that box of chocolates that you think should only be gifted. Or that video game console you’ve had your eye on for a long time, but wanted to spend that money on someone else, who just wants to test you on how much you are willing to spend on them. 

So…what is the point of buying gifts for them? This year, choose yourself first. Buy gifts for that special one. 

That special one is YOU, by the way. 

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