Creative Gifting

It was a special day and Mooch wanted to give his best friend, Earl, a gift. But what to get him?

-Patrick McDonnell, The Gift of Nothing

Birthdays are the best…unless you’re quarantined. I love a good party and a good surprise. I love celebrating with friends, I love choosing the perfect gift and seeing someone’s reaction when they open it. Most of the traditional ways people celebrate (because celebration involves community) are not possible right now. I have been trying to think of a few ways to brighten someone’s day, particularly on a birthday or special landmark, but also “just because”.

• Perhaps the most obvious, if you are able to right now, see which local businesses, restaurants, or florists are open and delivering. By supporting a local business, your gift will benefit more than one person!
• Donate to a charity or business in their honor. Depending on the person you are celebrating, you may want to donate to an organization working directly with COVID-19 relief, to an established charity that has likely seen a drop in the donations they usually receive, or to a business they love such as a theater, gym, or dance studio which has no revenue coming in.
• If you are on a tighter budget than usual or in an area with heavier restrictions, take a look around your house. Is there anything you have that your friend would appreciate? There should be no shame in “regifting” or in passing on a book, a picture, supplies for a hobby you both enjoy, or anything that you have used and loved if you feel it will be appreciated by your friend.
• Whether by choice or necessity, you may have get creative with packaging. If you don’t have a gift bag, try packaging your gift in a jar, a basket, a tea tin, a reusable shopping bag, or one of those empty Amazon boxes you probably piling up right now. Don’t have any wrapping paper left over and can’t get to the store for more? Try recycling newspaper, use an old map, books pages, etc.
• Though online birthday greetings have become commonplace, there is something so special about receiving a letter in your physical mailbox. If you don’t have a card on hand or feel “crafty” enough to make one, write out your note on whatever you have: notebook paper, sheet music, on the back of a picture. If you have any postcards you had been hanging onto as a memento, send them off and share your good memories. Have lots of extra time? Clip words out of magazines for a good old fashioned anonymous letter. You can even make your own envelope if you don’t have one on hand. https://welcometonanas.com/handmade-envelopes-3-ways/
• If you are only sending a card and not a gift, try adding something little to the envelope as a mini-gift: a trading card, vintage ephemera, a crossword puzzle, homemade confetti, a comic strip, or a picture from a magazine that would make them smile. If you want to be romantic, add a lock of hair tied in a ribbon. 😉 We all know you’re going to try cutting your own hair at some point anyway.
• Use your sense of humor. If your friend appreciates a funny and/or practical gift, give them a can of vegetables from your pantry, hand sanitizer, or toilet paper…if you have any to spare!

I hope that you find ways to tangibly show love and friendship during this time.

P.S. The quote at the beginning is from the cutest little book by the creator of the Mutts comic strip that reminds us that the gift is not as important as the giver and receiver. https://mutts.com/product/the-gift-of-nothing/