an gift essay

Master the Art of Gift-Giving and Receiving: Timeless Wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson

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How to be a Proper Gift Giver & Gift Receiver

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Gifts of one who loved me, — 'T was high time they came; When he ceased to love me, Time they stopped for shame.

In his essay "Gifts," Ralph Waldo Emerson delves into the intricacies of giving and receiving presents, emphasizing the importance of thoughtfulness, sincerity, and simplicity. He underscores that the true value of a gift lies not in its material worth but in the genuine expression of love, friendship, or gratitude it represents. For Emerson, the most meaningful gifts reflect the giver's understanding and appreciation of the recipient's character, needs, and desires, transcending the mere transactional nature of gift-giving.

Emerson also explores gift-receiving etiquette, stating that gracious acceptance is as crucial as giving. He encourages recipients to recognize the giver's intentions and appreciate the emotional significance behind the gift rather than focusing solely on its material aspects. By cultivating mindfulness and humility in giving and receiving, Emerson believes that individuals can strengthen their relationships and foster a more profound connection with one another.

I t is said that the world is in a state of bankruptcy, that the world owes the world more than the world can pay, and ought to go into chancery, and be sold. I do not think this general insolvency, which involves in some sort all the population, to be the reason of the difficulty experienced at Christmas and New Year, and other times, in bestowing gifts; since it is always so pleasant to be generous, though very vexatious to pay debts. But the impediment lies in the choosing. If, at any time, it comes into my head, that a present is due from me to somebody, I am puzzled what to give, until the opportunity is gone. Flowers and fruits are always fit presents; flowers, because they are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. These gay natures contrast with the somewhat stern countenance of ordinary nature: they are like music heard out of a work-house. Nature does not cocker us: we are children, not pets: she is not fond: everything is dealt to us without fear or favor, after severe universal laws. Yet these delicate flowers look like the frolic and interference of love and beauty. Men use to tell us that we love flattery, even though we are not deceived by it, because it shows that we are of importance enough to be courted. Something like that pleasure, the flowers give us: what am I to whom these sweet hints are addressed? Fruits are acceptable gifts, because they are the flower of commodities, and admit of fantastic values being attached to them. If a man should send to me to come a hundred miles to visit him, and should set before me a basket of fine summerfruit, I should think there was some proportion between the labor and the reward.

For common gifts, necessity makes pertinences and beauty every day, and one is glad when an imperative leaves him no option, since if the man at the door have no shoes, you have not to consider whether you could procure him a paint-box. And as it is always pleasing to see a man eat bread, or drink water, in the house or out of doors, so it is always a great satisfaction to supply these first wants. Necessity does everything well. In our condition of universal dependence, it seems heroic to let the petitioner be the judge of his necessity, and to give all that is asked, though at great inconvenience. If it be a fantastic desire, it is better to leave to others the office of punishing him. I can think of many parts I should prefer playing to that of the Furies. Next to things of necessity, the rule for a gift, which one of my friends prescribed, is, that we might convey to some person that which properly belonged to his character, and was easily associated with him in thought. But our tokens of compliment and love are for the most part barbarous. Rings and other jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself. Thou must bleed for me. Therefore the poet brings his poem; the shepherd, his lamb; the farmer, corn; the miner, a gem; the sailor, coral and shells; the painter, his picture; the girl, a handkerchief of her own sewing. This is right and pleasing, for it restores society in so far to its primary basis, when a man's biography is conveyed in his gift, and every man's wealth is an index of his merit. But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy me something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith's. This is fit for kings, and rich men who represent kings, and a false state of property, to make presents of gold and silver stuffs, as a kind of symbolical sin-offering, or payment of black-mail.

The law of benefits is a difficult channel, which requires careful sailing, or rude boats. It is not the office of a man to receive gifts. How dare you give them? We wish to be self-sustained. We do not quite forgive a giver. The hand that feeds us is in some danger of being bitten. We can receive anything from love, for that is a way of receiving it from ourselves; but not from any one who assumes to bestow. We sometimes hate the meat which we eat, because there seems something of degrading dependence in living by it.

"Brother, if Jove to thee a present make, Take heed that from his hands thou nothing take."

We ask the whole. Nothing less will content us. We arraign society, if it do not give us besides earth, and fire, and water, opportunity, love, reverence, and objects of veneration.

He is a good man, who can receive a gift well. We are either glad or sorry at a gift, and both emotions are unbecoming. Some violence, I think, is done, some degradation borne, when I rejoice or grieve at a gift. I am sorry when my independence is invaded, or when a gift comes from such as do not know my spirit, and so the act is not supported; and if the gift pleases me overmuch, then I should be ashamed that the donor should read my heart, and see that I love his commodity, and not him. The gift, to be true, must be the flowing of the giver unto me, correspondent to my flowing unto him. When the waters are at level, then my goods pass to him, and his to me. All his are mine, all mine his. I say to him, How can you give me this pot of oil, or this flagon of wine, when all your oil and wine is mine, which belief of mine this gift seems to deny? Hence the fitness of beautiful, not useful things for gifts. This giving is flat usurpation, and therefore when the beneficiary is ungrateful, as all beneficiaries hate all Timons, not at all considering the value of the gift, but looking back to the greater store it was taken from, I rather sympathize with the beneficiary, than with the anger of my lord Timon. For, the expectation of gratitude is mean, and is continually punished by the total insensibility of the obliged person. It is a great happiness to get off without injury and heart-burning, from one who has had the ill luck to be served by you. It is a very onerous business, this of being served, and the debtor naturally wishes to give you a slap. A golden text for these gentlemen is that which I so admire in the Buddhist, who never thanks, and who says, "Do not flatter your benefactors."

The reason of these discords I conceive to be, that there is no commensurability between a man and any gift. You cannot give anything to a magnanimous person. After you have served him, he at once puts you in debt by his magnanimity. The service a man renders his friend is trivial and selfish, compared with the service he knows his friend stood in readiness to yield him, alike before he had begun to serve his friend, and now also. Compared with that good-will I bear my friend, the benefit it is in my power to render him seems small. Besides, our action on each other, good as well as evil, is so incidental and at random, that we can seldom hear the acknowledgments of any person who would thank us for a benefit, without some shame and humiliation. We can rarely strike a direct stroke, but must be content with an oblique one; we seldom have the satisfaction of yielding a direct benefit, which is directly received. But rectitude scatters favors on every side without knowing it, and receives with wonder the thanks of all people.

I fear to breathe any treason against the majesty of love, which is the genius and god of gifts, and to whom we must not affect to prescribe. Let him give kingdoms or flower-leaves indifferently. There are persons, from whom we always expect fairy tokens; let us not cease to expect them. This is prerogative, and not to be limited by our municipal rules. For the rest, I like to see that we cannot be bought and sold. The best of hospitality and of generosity is also not in the will, but in fate. I find that I am not much to you; you do not need me; you do not feel me; then am I thrust out of doors, though you proffer me house and lands. No services are of any value, but only likeness. When I have attempted to join myself to others by services, it proved an intellectual trick, — no more. They eat your service like apples, and leave you out. But love them, and they feel you, and delight in you all the time.

What did Emerson say about the gift giver and the gift receiver?

In his essay "Gifts," Ralph Waldo Emerson discusses the roles of both the gift giver and receiver, emphasizing the importance of thoughtfulness, sincerity, and understanding. According to Emerson, the true value of a gift lies in the expression of love, friendship, or gratitude it represents rather than its material worth.

For the gift giver, Emerson believes the most meaningful gifts reflect a deep understanding and appreciation of the recipient's character, needs, and desires. A thoughtful and sincere gift transcends the mere transactional nature of gift-giving and creates a meaningful connection between the giver and the receiver.

As for the gift receiver, Emerson stresses the importance of gracious acceptance. He encourages recipients to appreciate the emotional significance and intentions behind the gift rather than focusing solely on its material aspects. By doing so, the receiver acknowledges the giver's thoughtfulness and effort, cultivating mindfulness and humility.

In summary, Emerson's views on gift-giving and receiving revolve around the ideas of thoughtfulness, sincerity, and fostering deeper connections between individuals. He believes that both the giver and receiver have essential roles in making the exchange of gifts a meaningful and enriching experience.

What are the Rules of Gifts according to Emerson?

Ralph Waldo Emerson doesn't necessarily lay out specific "rules" for gift-giving in his essay "Gifts." Still, he does convey several important principles that can guide giving and receiving gifts. Some of these principles include:

Thoughtfulness: The most valuable gifts demonstrate a deep understanding of the recipient's character, needs, and desires. The gift should be chosen with care, reflecting the giver's genuine affection and appreciation for the recipient.

Sincerity: A gift should be an honest expression of love, friendship, or gratitude. It should come from the heart and not be given out of obligation or as a mere formality.

Simplicity: Emerson suggests simplicity is often the key to a significant gift. Extravagant or expensive gifts may not necessarily be more meaningful than simpler ones, especially if they lack a personal connection or thoughtfulness.

The gift's intrinsic value: The true worth of a gift lies not in its material value but in its emotional significance and the connection it creates between the giver and receiver.

Gracious acceptance: As a gift receiver, it is important to be mindful and humble, focusing on the emotional significance and intentions behind the gift rather than its material aspects.

Reciprocity: Emerson touches on the idea that gift-giving is often reciprocal but also emphasizes that it should not be a tit-for-tat exchange. The focus should remain on expressing genuine feelings and fostering a deeper connection between individuals.

In conclusion, while Emerson does not lay out specific rules for gift-giving and receiving, he emphasizes the importance of thoughtfulness, sincerity, simplicity, and graciousness in the process. The giver and receiver can create a more meaningful and enriching experience by following these principles.

Why do we find it difficult to receive gifts?

Receiving gifts can be difficult for some people due to various reasons, including the following:

Feelings of unworthiness: Some individuals may feel undeserving of gifts or attention, leading to discomfort when receiving presents. This could be rooted in low self-esteem, past experiences, or cultural beliefs.

Fear of obligation: Receiving a gift may create a sense of indebtedness, making the recipient feel as though they are now obligated to reciprocate the gesture. This pressure to give back can be uncomfortable and may cause some people to feel uneasy about accepting gifts.

Discomfort with vulnerability: Accepting a gift requires acknowledging that someone has thought about and cared for you, which can make some individuals feel vulnerable. This vulnerability may be challenging for those who prefer to maintain emotional distance or self-reliance.

Concerns about the gift's appropriateness: Some people may worry about the suitability of the gift, whether it is too expensive, too personal, or not aligned with their tastes or values. This concern can create unease when receiving a gift.

Fear of appearing greedy or materialistic: Accepting a gift might cause some individuals to worry about appearing selfish or overly focused on material possessions. This fear can make it difficult to accept a present graciously.

Cultural differences: In some cultures, accepting gifts may be associated with specific customs or expectations that can create anxiety or confusion. For example, certain cultures may dictate that a gift should be refused several times before finally accepting it or that an immediate reciprocal gift is required.

To overcome these difficulties, it is essential to cultivate gratitude and graciousness when receiving gifts. Remember that a gift is often an expression of love, friendship, or appreciation; accepting it graciously can strengthen relationships and foster a deeper connection with others.

What is the meaning of gift giving?

Gift-giving is a universal expression of various emotions, sentiments, and social bonds. It serves several purposes and carries different meanings depending on the context, culture, and personal intentions. Some of the key meanings and purposes of gift-giving include:

Expression of love, affection, or friendship: Gift-giving is often a way to show love and care for someone, reinforcing the emotional connection between the giver and the recipient.

Celebration or commemoration: Gifts are often given to mark special occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or holidays, to celebrate and create lasting memories.

Expression of gratitude or appreciation: Giving a gift can be a token of thanks or recognition for someone's kindness, support, or hard work.

Strengthening social bonds: Gift-giving is essential in building and maintaining relationships, whether among family, friends, or colleagues. It promotes goodwill, trust, and reciprocity, fostering stronger social connections.

Cultural or religious traditions: Many cultures and religions have specific gift-giving customs and rituals, reflecting the values and beliefs of the community. In these contexts, gifts can carry deeper symbolic meanings and serve to uphold cultural identity and continuity.

Acts of generosity and charity: Giving gifts to those in need, such as through donations or volunteering, is an expression of compassion and empathy, contributing to the well-being of others and the greater good.

Overall, the meaning of gift-giving is multifaceted, encompassing emotional, social, cultural, and even spiritual dimensions. By giving and receiving gifts, individuals can express their feelings, strengthen relationships, and create lasting memories, making it an essential aspect of human interaction and connection.

Ralph Waldo Emerson left the ministry to pursue a career in writing and public speaking. Emerson became one of America's best known and best-loved 19th-century figures. More About Emerson

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December 16, 2023

Why Do We Give Gifts? An Anthropologist Explains This Ancient Human Behavior

Gifts play an important role in human relationships and are about more than consumerism

By Chip Colwell & The Conversation US

Woman's arms in brown sweater holding gift wrapped in green paper with orange bow on black backdrop

Liliya Krueger/Getty Images

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation , an online publication covering the latest research.

Have you planned out your holiday gift giving yet? If you’re anything like me, you might be waiting until the last minute. But whether every single present is already wrapped and ready, or you’ll hit the shops on Christmas Eve, giving gifts is a curious but central part of being human.

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While researching my new book, “ So Much Stuff ,” on how humanity has come to depend on tools and technology over the last 3 million years, I became fascinated by the purpose of giving things away. Why would people simply hand over something precious or valuable when they could use it themselves?

To me as an anthropologist , this is an especially powerful question because giving gifts likely has ancient roots . And gifts can be found in every known culture around the world.

So, what explains the power of the present?

Undoubtedly, gifts serve lots of purposes. Some psychologists have observed a “warm glow” – an intrinsic delight – that’s associated with giving presents. Theologians have noted how gifting is a way to express moral values, such as love, kindness and gratitude, in Catholicism , Buddhism and Islam . And philosophers ranging from Seneca to Friedrich Nietzsche regarded gifting as the best demonstration of selflessness. It’s little wonder that gifts are a central part of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and other winter holidays – and that some people may even be tempted to regard Black Friday , the opening of the year-end shopping season, as a holiday in itself.

But of all the explanations for why people give gifts, the one I find most convincing was offered in 1925 by a French anthropologist named Marcel Mauss .

Giving, receiving, reciprocating

Like many anthropologists, Mauss was puzzled by societies in which gifts were extravagantly given away.

For example, along the northwest coast of Canada and the United States, Indigenous peoples conduct potlatch ceremonies. In these dayslong feasts, hosts give away immense amounts of property. Consider a famous potlatch in 1921 , held by a clan leader of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation in Canada who gave community members 400 sacks of flour, heaps of blankets, sewing machines, furniture, canoes, gas-powered boats and even pool tables.

In a now-famous essay titled “ The Gift ,” originally published almost a century ago, Mauss sees potlaches as an extreme form of gifting. Yet, he suggests this behavior is totally recognizable in most every human society: We give things away even when keeping them for ourselves would seem to make much more economic and evolutionary sense.

Mauss observed that gifts create three separate but inextricably related actions. Gifts are given, received and reciprocated.

The first act of giving establishes the virtues of the gift giver. They express their generosity, kindness and honor.

The act of receiving the gift, in turn, shows a person’s willingness to be honored. This is a way for the receiver to show their own generosity, that they are willing to accept what was offered to them.

The third component of gift giving is reciprocity, returning in kind what was first given. Essentially, the person who received the gift is now expected – implicitly or explicitly – to give a gift back to the original giver.

But then, of course, once the first person gets something back, they must return yet another gift to the person who received the original gift. In this way, gifting becomes an endless loop of giving and receiving, giving and receiving.

This last step – reciprocity – is what makes gifts unique. Unlike buying something at a store, in which the exchange ends when money is traded for goods, giving gifts builds and sustains relationships. This relationship between the gift giver and receiver is bound up with morality. Gifting is an expression of fairness because each present is generally of equal or greater value than what was last given. And gifting is an expression of respect because it shows a willingness to honor the other person.

In these ways, gifting tethers people together. It keeps people connected in an infinite cycle of mutual obligations.

Giving better gifts

Are modern-day consumers unknowingly embodying Mauss’ theory a little too well? After all, many people today suffer not from the lack of gifts, but from an overabundance.

Gallup reports that the average American holiday shopper estimates they’ll spend US$975 on presents in 2023 , the highest amount since this survey began in 1999.

And many gifts are simply thrown out. In the 2019 holiday season, it was estimated that more than $15 billion of gifts purchased by Americans were unwanted, with 4% going directly to the landfill . This year, holiday spending is expected to increase in the U.K. , Canada , Japan and elsewhere.

Modern-day gifting practices may be the source of both awe and anger. On the one hand, by giving presents you are engaging in an ancient behavior that makes us human by growing and sustaining our relationships. On the other hand, it seems as if some societies might be using the holiday season as an excuse to simply consume more and more.

Mauss’ ideas do not promote runaway consumerism. On the contrary, his explanations of gifts suggest that the more meaningful and personal the present, the greater the respect and honor being shown. A truly thoughtful gift is far less likely to end up in a dump. And vintage, upcycled, handmade goods – or a personalized experience such as a food tour or hot air balloon ride – might even be more valued than an expensive item mass-produced on the other side of the world, shipped across oceans and packaged in plastic.

Quality gifts can speak to your values and more meaningfully sustain your relationships.

This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

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" Subtle distinctions " : Emerson's " Gifts " and Sentimental Rhetoric of Gift-Giving

In my paper, I reread Emerson’s “Gifts” (1844), an essay usually placed in the background of the twentieth-century gift theory canon (Schrift 1997, Ostin 2002).The essay contains a dazzling yet controversial vision of the gift. Emerson presents us with a list of appropriate gifts for different occasions and yet questions the very legitimacy of gift-giving. He sees the donation of gifts as an individual act of self-sacrifice (“thou must bleed for me”) and, at the same time, transcends it by attributing true gifts to the impersonal power of love giving “kingdoms and flower leaves indifferently”. Seeing Emerson as an “edifying” rather than “systematic” philosopher in the terms of Richard Rorty, I attempt to understand his controversial thinking by closely reading the essay and analyzing its rhetorical strategies, largely relying on Emerson’s own statement that “[t]he very language we speak, thinks for us, by the subtle distinctions which are already marked for us by its words”. As the analysis reveals, Emerson draws on the rhetoric of contemporary sentimental discourse about gifts reflected in behavior manuals and sentimental fiction and, thereby, develops his own original theory of gift exchange, anticipating the asymmetrical ethics of gift-giving in modern philosophy.

Related Papers

Peter Ashworth

Thomas LeCarner

This essay is concerned with Jacques Derrida's theory on gift-giving. He argues that a true gift is one where neither the giver nor the receiver is aware of the gift as such; this, he claims, is "the impossible." Through close readings of essays by Emerson and Thoreau, I argue that the New England Transcendentalist notion of the gift might provide a possible solution to Derrida's quagmire. A version of this essay will be published in a special Transcendentalist edition of the journal Revue française d'études américaines" in the spring.

Journal of Business Research

Mary McGrath , John Sherry

Aʿ bbasid Studies IV Occasional Papers of the School of ʿAbbasid Studies Leuven, July 5–July 9, 2010

Antonella Ghersetti

Michael Staudigl

In this introductory paper I attempt to displace the discourse on the gift from some major interpretations in order to rethink the gift in terms of its inherently diachronic, bleated, and irreducibly ambiguous "constitution." In this context, I will critically examine both Derrida's deconstructive focus on the gift's purity and the "aporia" this entails, and the recent discussion of the so-called "primacy of givenness" in phenomenology of religion. This criticism will be supplemented by an exploration of the responsive co-constitution of the gift that I find anticipated in Hénaff's sociological and anthropological treatment of the issue. In refuting ontological, ethical, and theological over-determinations of the institution of the gift, I, hence, opt for reassessing the irreducible ambiguities of the gift that appear in a relational perspective, i.e., a perspective which acknowledges the ambiguous truth of the gift in terms of a "gift of the other." Rethinking the gift in these terms, however, results in avowing the most basic ambiguity that situates the gift in-between the economy of self-abandonment and the sacrificial logics of securing a "true other."

Peter Gavin-Griffin

MAUSS International

Jacob Copeman

Women in Philosophy Annual Journal of Papers Vol. 9

Theodra Bane

Kriterion: Revista de Filosofia

Wellington Santana

The contemporary philosophical debate about "gift" brought into light above all by French philosophers Jacques Derrida and Jean-Luc Marion, brought about new and live discussions regarding what gift is and what is its nature. The present article analyses whether or not love can be regarded as a gift or, rather, follow the same problem showed by Derrida. According to him, every gift carries an internal contradiction and can never be and, therefore, will never be gift. A gift is impossible. What is as gift to people (someone freely gives something to someone), is, actually a commodity, an economical circle for Derrida. This article seeks to inquire whether can or cannot love follow the same gift pattern or if it, rather, builds his own path and follows its own internal logic. Is it possible to analyze love following on the footsteps of phenomenology? If love can be analyzed in a phenomenological fashion - reduction of love - then a new horizon will be opened.

Paul Michael Taylor

[Edited by Patricia Thatcher and Paul Michael Taylor with Cynthia Adams Hoover. Yale-Smithsonian Report on Material Culture, 1991.] The 1991 Yale-Smithsonian Seminar on Material Culture, held in Washington, D.C., April 28-30, examined gifts as objects of material culture. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History, "Beyond the Java Sea: Art of Indonesia's Outer Islands," an exhibition whose objects stimulated much discussion and new thinking about material culture. The seminar participants represented a broad range of disciplines and included historians, materials scientists, anthropologists and archaeologists, literary scholars, and art historians. As discussed in the introductory paper, many of Indonesia's finest artworks were created originally as gifts, as a kind of currency in systems of gift exchange. Consequently, the exhibition and its accompanying catalog (Taylor and Aragon 1991) examined indigenous concepts of reciprocity, as materially represented in gifts, for maintaining (or indeed manipulating) the social order in outer-island Indonesia. The next two days of stimulating papers, discussions, and meals were organized into three panels: • Wedding Gifts and Marital Alliances • Gifts in Economic Perspective • Power and Propitiation: Political and Religious Aspects of Gift Giving. As the Indonesian exhibition provided a point of comparison for the entire topic, so the panels began with one or more Indonesian case studies, each presented by an Indonesianist (anthropologists Hamilton, Aragon, and Pospisil and art historian Jessup). Consequently, each group of essays in this seminar report begins with an Indonesian case study, and then broadens the discussion to include examples from other parts of the world, as examined by scholars from American studies, history, art history, anthropology, literature, and other fields. Wedding Gifts and Marital Alliances The discussion of Wedding Gifts and Marital Alliances opens with Roy Hamilton's vivid account of a Lio marriage ceremony from Flores Island in the Lesser Sundas. Hamilton's account illustrates that, even where the rules of gift exchange at traditional weddings seem precise and ritualized, lively negotiations and individual manipulation of those same detailed rules do prevail "on the ground." Maria Montoya describes the multiple stages of, and exchanges that take place in, a folk Catholic ceremony (called Las Entriegas de Novios) that served to sanction marriage in Hispanic New Mexico. She presents this ceremony, which persists today in modern urban contexts, as a form of "cultural resistance" to outsiders. Candace Waid examines wedding-related gifts in Southern U.S. novels, such as those by Katherine Anne Porter, Carson McCullers, and Eudora Welty. Mary Jo Arnoldi describes a woman's exchange ceremony called woloma among the Bamana of Mali. Wedding goods are exchanged in the woloma, on the day of the wedding. Arnoldi's description of the woloma ceremony is a refreshing alternative to male-dominated discussions about "brideprice" exchange, since the woloma is organized by women, and women use the ceremony to exchange goods among themselves. Gifts in Economic Perspective Leopold Pospisil opens the second panel on Gifts in Economic Perspective with his essay on the role of gifts and gift-like transactions among the Kapauku of western New Guinea (now Indonesia's easternmost province, Irian Jaya). Pospisil shows that this exchange behavior is associated with both legal and moral expectations, but that the two must carefully be distinguished. George Miles's essay on "Real Gifts: Treaties, Grants, and Land Transfers in America" also considers various forms of property transfer in terms of the bundles of rights, duties, and even moral expectations being transferred, as, for example, in homestead grants and grants to railroads. He also examines exchanges taking place between peoples with entire but different systems of defining property rights, as, for example, when rights in land were transferred from American Indians to Euro-Americans who had very different concepts of what that transfer entailed. Although he focuses on gifts of much tinier scale, historian John Fleckner's discussion, "Greetings Cards and American Consumer Culture," provoked the most heated discussion. Fleckner traces the history of this relatively new and seemingly inconsequential form of material culture that is now ubiquitous. While some seminar participants compared this phenomenon to Indonesian textiles (some of which are also created only to be given away, or to say things that the wearer cannot say), others depicted the greeting card as a cheap token that subtly implies that the recipient deserves no better. The panel's concluding paper, "The Gift of Giving: Philanthropy in America" by Jean-Christophe Agnew, questions the pure philanthropy of even the most stupendous gifts. Agnew closely examines the antagonism within our culture between commodities and gifts, finding the two "incommensurable although not incompatible," since the intricate calculations accompanying private philanthropic gifts are of a different order from those accompanying commodity exchange. Power and Propitiation: Political and Religious Aspects of Gift Giving The final panel, Power and Propitiation: Political and Religious Aspects of Gift Giving, begins with two very different Indonesian case studies. Anthropologist Lorraine V. Aragon's paper on tributes and offerings in Central Sulawesi Island examines the manner in which that region's political and religious gifts to deities, highland aristocrats, and lowland kingdom rulers were used to construct political and social relationships. She emphasizes that nonmaterial valuables such as access to trade markets, religious blessing, or the status acquired in gift giving must be recognized as important in gift exchange. Art historian Helen Jessup's parallel essay on "Indonesian Court Arts" gives an overview of courtly traditions of gift exchange as they were used in defining hierarchy or equality among rulers or between rulers and subjects in Indonesian history. Turning to American history, Alan Fern's discussion of"Presidential Gifts in America" favorably compares the simple and deeply meaningful gifts of the earliest presidents to the "extraordinary escalation" of recent presidential gift giving. This trend recalls the escalating Cult of Magnificence in Indonesian courts, as described by Jessup. Unlike some Indonesian court societies, however, Americans have not yet come to believe that the expensive heirlooms acquired as our rulers take office are actually the source of our president's authority. Gretchen Townsend's essay, "Colonial Boston Church Silver: Gifts of Community, Commitment, and Continuity," provides the conference's parting thought, examining the colonial New England pattern of collecting money or leaving money upon one's death for the purchase of church silver. She leaves us with a well-developed example of a meaningful type of gift, prominent in colonial popular culture, which cannot easily be interpreted in terms of the implied reciprocity and exchange that dominate most thinking about gifts. The donor who bequeathed money for an inscribed silver vessel was, after all, already dead when the transfer took place. And each Puritan donor knew that his future status, as someone who would or would not eternally be saved, was already predetermined before he made the bequest. Drawing her evidence from contemporary writings and from her examination of the silver vessels, Townsend presents a moving account of the many meanings these objects of a lifetime conveyed.

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THE JOY OF GIVING: The more you give of yourself, the more you find of yourself

We all know how great it feels to receive gifts. However, the joy of getting is short-lived. Our lives are richer when we share, and that great inner joy comes from helping others to better their lives.

Truly giving from the heart fills your life with joy and nourishes your soul. Giving provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.”

Giving takes you out of yourself and allows you to expand beyond earthly limitations. True joy lies in the act of giving without an expectation of receiving something in return.

Academic research and thousands of years of human history confirm that achieving meaning, fulfillment, and happiness in life comes from making others happy, and not from being self-centred. Mother Teresa is a famous example. She found fulfillment in giving of herself to others. She helped change the expression on dying people’s faces from distress and fear to calmness and serenity. She made their undeniable pain a little easier to bear.

Adventure, Height, Climbing, Mountain, Peak, Summit

When people are asked why they give, the readiest answers include: God wants me to; I feel better about myself; others need, and I have; I want to share; it’s only right. The question I would ask is how did you feel? I imagine you felt very pleased with yourself and happy inside.

It has been my experience that when you’re focused on giving to others you’re less likely to become consumed by your own concerns and challenges. Giving provides an opportunity to look beyond our own world and see the bigger picture.

A great perspective can be achieved by stepping out of our own world and venturing into the world of other people. Your worries and challenges may not seem as significant when compared to other people’s situations.

The act of giving kindles self-esteem and brings happiness. Scientists have discovered that happiness is related to how much gratitude you show. After several years of soul searching, I discovered that my unhappiness was due to my want for things to fill the void of loneliness.

My search for inner happiness led me towards gratitude. During this process of self-realization, I also discovered “ The Purpose of Living.” Yes, I believe that giving thanks makes you happier. But don’t take my word for it—try it out for yourself.

The power of giving and the joy of helping others

Giving is one of the best investments you can make towards achieving genuine happiness. True giving comes from the heart, with no expectation of reciprocation. You’ll find that the more you give, the more you’ll receive.

Frog giving another frog flowers - The joy of giving

The power of giving is manifested in the kindness and generosity that you bestow on someone else. When you give to another unselfishly, the vibrational energy emitting from your subconscious is at its strongest. The power of giving, according to neuroscience, is that it feels good.

A Chinese proverb says: “If you always give, you will always have.” A famous American author and management expert, Ken Blanchard, declared “The more I give away, the more comes back.”

If you find yourself feeling unhappy, try making someone else happy and see what happens. If you’re feeling empty and unfulfilled, try doing some meaningful and worthwhile work and see how you feel. The catch is that you must do this work with passion and enthusiasm.

There are many organizations, institutions and people who are engaged in exemplary works of giving. Narayanan Krishnan is a management graduate from Madurai, India who gave up his career as chef with a five-star hotel when he saw a man so hungry that he was feeding on his own excreta. From there on Krishnan started his noble initiative to feed thousands of destitute and homeless people in his state—free of cost.

Another example of giving is Sanjit “Bunker” Roy, founder of the Barefoot College . Since graduating from college in 1965, Mr. Roy has committed his life to serve the poor and to help rural communities become self-sufficient. The Barefoot College education program encourages learning-by-doing, such as training grandmothers from Africa and the Himalayan region to be solar engineers so they could bring electricity to their remote villages.

It’s the joy and love that we extend to others that brings true happiness or union with God. When we give, we reap the joy of seeing a bright smile, laughter, tears of joy and gratitude for life . We know that if people give just a little more—of their time, skills, knowledge, wisdom, compassion, wealth and love—the world would be a more peaceful and healthier place.

The rewards of giving are priceless. If you want to have happiness, you need to give happiness. If you want love, you need to give love. It is only in giving that you receive. No matter what your circumstances in life, you have the ability to give.

I encourage you to look for opportunities where you can give and help others. The gift of joy will come to you when you give of yourself to others. That’s what life is all about. Let’s practice and commit our lives to giving joy. Try it! It works!

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Essay on My Birthday Gift

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Birthday Gift in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Birthday Gift

Introduction.

My birthday is always a special day for me. This year, it was made even more special with a unique gift.

The Surprise

I was overjoyed to see my dream gift. It was not just a bicycle, but a symbol of my growing independence.

This birthday gift made my day memorable. It was a reminder of the love and care my parents have for me.

250 Words Essay on My Birthday Gift

The anticipation.

As the days neared my birthday, the excitement grew. The anticipation of the gift was not about its monetary value, but the sentiment attached to it. I was curious about what my loved ones had chosen for me, what they thought would make me happy.

The Unveiling

The day arrived, and as I unwrapped the gift, my eyes fell on a beautiful, vintage record player. It was not just a gift, but a gateway to a world of music that I had always wanted to explore. The record player was a symbol of my passion for music and the vintage touch signified my love for all things classic.

The Significance

The gift was not merely an object; it was a reflection of the understanding and love of those who gifted it to me. It showed their knowledge of my interests, passions, and the little things that bring me joy. The record player was not just a music device but a means of connecting with my soul.

In conclusion, the best gifts are not always the most expensive ones but those that carry a personal touch, understanding, and thoughtfulness. My birthday gift was more than just a present; it was a testament to the love and care of my dear ones. It was a gift that will always remind me of the beautiful bond I share with them.

500 Words Essay on My Birthday Gift

Introduction: the anticipation.

Birthdays are often associated with joy, celebration, and a sense of growing older and wiser. But beyond the cake and the candles, there’s always that one thing that makes the day even more special – the birthday gift. This year, my birthday gift was not just an object, but a profound life lesson that would forever change my perspective.

The Unconventional Gift

Symbolism and reflection.

The Bristlecone Pine sapling was not just a plant, but a symbol of resilience, longevity, and the beauty of life itself. These trees are known to withstand harsh conditions and still live for thousands of years. This gift was a gentle reminder that despite the adversities we face in life, we can still grow and thrive, just like the Bristlecone Pine.

Life Lessons from the Gift

The sapling taught me several valuable life lessons. Firstly, it emphasized the importance of patience. Just like the tree that takes years to grow and mature, achieving our goals also requires time and patience. We cannot rush growth or success; it’s a gradual process that requires consistent effort and perseverance.

Secondly, it highlighted the significance of resilience. The Bristlecone Pine withstands harsh weather conditions and still manages to live for thousands of years. Similarly, we must also learn to navigate through life’s challenges and emerge stronger, without losing our essence.

Conclusion: The Gift That Keeps Giving

In conclusion, my birthday gift was much more than a physical present. It was a poignant life lesson, a symbol of resilience, and a call to action for a greener planet. This gift will continue to grow and thrive, just like me, and serve as a constant reminder of the lessons it holds. It was indeed the best birthday gift, not just because it was unique, but because it carried a message that resonated deeply with me. In the end, the best gifts are not always the most expensive or luxurious ones, but those that touch our hearts and inspire us to be better.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Essay on Life is a Gift [200, 500 Words] With PDF

Life is precious. In this lesson, you will learn to write essays in two different sets on life as a gift. It will help you in articulating your thoughts in the upcoming exams.

Essay on life is a gift in 200 words, essay on life is a gift in 500 words.

Feature image of Essay on Life is a Gift

A gift is viewed as something unique, valuable, and mysterious. Life is the most priceless and precious gift our parents have bestowed upon us. It’s a fascinating journey full of adventures with unknown and unexpected elements. It can fill us with love, happiness, and a feeling of purpose.

Life is an art for some, which they wish to paint in vibrant colours, while it is a science for others, which must be mastered with discipline and punctuality. While some people squander their life on worthless pursuits, others find meaning in the most insignificant objects and circumstances. We are gifted with the five senses to experience life sensuously.

We must recognise its significance and strive to develop ourselves daily. Our activities, as is commonly stated, purify our souls. Some of us devote our lives to doing good things, while others squander them in the hope of greater results. While some have good intentions, others are out to harm. Life is full of both good and painful experiences. We must not give up if we have had an unpleasant or unpalatable experience in life. It’s important to remember that it’s just transitory and that with perseverance, it can be conquered.

A gift is regarded as special, valuable, and mysterious. Life is the most precious gift that our parents have given us. It is a delightful journey packed with adventures containing unknown and unanticipated elements. It has the tremendous potential to provide us with love, happiness, and a sense of meaning. For some, life is an art they want to paint in wonderful colours, while for others, life is a science that must be mastered with discipline and punctuality.

While there are people who waste their lives in meaningless endeavours, there are others who fetch meaning from the most futile objects and situations. We are gifted with the five senses to experience life sensuously. We must understand its importance and work hard to improve ourselves every day. It is often said that our actions purify our souls. Some of us dedicate our lives to performing good deeds, whereas others spoil it in the hope of getting better results. While some have ethical intentions, others have evil objectives. Every day is a gift to learn new things and enjoy the new experience.

We must embed our lives with the people we love. We must preach kindness. If we are kind to one another and respect humanity, life will be kind to us and appreciate our existence. We all should have a motto that shall help us make this earth a better place. We must work on the legacy we wish to leave behind us. It must be something that would be cherished by the ones who know the ones who are strangers to us and us.

Living life is not easy. Some days are tough and demanding, and it takes courage to sail through them. On such days, remembering the struggles of people who had come before us and did not give up in the face of hardships will encourage us. Life almost always offers us a wide range of options. However, we must make our choices wisely.

We must be guided by reason, and we should be passionate about all the activities we indulge in. Our sheer determination can make the impossible possible. We must have faith and promise to give our best in all situations. We should also allow ourselves leisure to take vacations, practice sport, work on our hobbies, read and write. As William Henry Davies puts it in the poem Leisure,

“What is this life, full of care? We have no time to stand and stare.” We must never limit ourselves in our scope of doing something.

After all, life is not a bed full of roses, but it gives occasional prickly thorns in our pathway, which we must tread carefully. We can take the flower lily as an inspiration. Although it lasts for a brief period, its aroma creates a freshening and beautiful environment. Living life honourably is the duty of every human being. We must spend our life inspiring others with thoughts that stir ecstasy. We must apprehend that life is a gift and not a burden.

Hopefully, after going through this lesson, you have a holistic idea of the value of life and the ideal way of living it. I have tried to cover every aspect of the topic briefly and in an expanded form. If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through the comment section below. To read more such essays on many important topics, keep browsing our website.

Join us on Telegram to get the latest updates on our upcoming sessions. Thank you, see you again soon.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Short Story — The Gift Of The Magi

The Gift of The Magi

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Published: Nov 26, 2019

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Unexpected Gift – Eric, Grade 7

Unexpected Gift

I was in my room playing video games when suddenly my mom announced that Christmas was arriving soon and that we all had to buy presents for the family. I knew what it meant. It meant that we had to go shopping. Each year if my mom wanted something, I had to get it for her. My presents never went over $40, while my mom’s went close to $100. This year, though, something unusual happened like an elephant eating a crocodile. My mom actually told me how much she wanted me to spend on her gift!

“$50 this year,” she shouted from the kitchen.

“$50 should be OK,” I sighed reluctantly, “including tax.”

“K,” she replied with a smile.

We went to Markville Mall. At Walmart, I bought some books and a pair of headphones. I was thinking of saving money for an iPhone, but my mom literally wasted my $50 on a pair of earrings. They were pretty, but I thought she should have used my money on something worthy. The reason I say it is that she has a lot of earrings at home, and she never wears them. She just buys them and wears them for a week and never wears them ever again.

The next day I went to my grandparents’ house, and they said that they were taking me to Markville Mall. I wondered why we were going there again. I had just been there the day before, and now I was going there again! We got into the car and drove straight onto the highway. In a matter of minutes, we arrived. I ran as fast as the flash to the Apple Store and looked at the iPhones, and my grandparents followed. I didn’t know what my grandparents were up to since I had started playing a few addictive games on the iPads.

Suddenly, I remembered a few nights before I had heard my mom talking to my grandma about my grades on the report card. She said that I had done really well, in fact way over her expectations. My grandma was very happy and told my mom that she was getting me something as a gift, which I didn’t take seriously at the time.

At home, I decided to take a shower. As I was walking into the bathroom, I heard my grandma calling my mom and saying something about a cell phone. I cut my shower short as I was curious to know what was going on. After my shower, I immediately went to my bedroom. There was a wrapped box lying on my laptop. It was shiny and had many different colours on it, red, orange, yellow, blue, and green. It had snowman pictures on the back and read “Congratulations.” “What would it be?” I thought. Then I thought to myself, instead of wasting all this money on little gifts, if everyone had given the money to me, I would have been able to buy myself an iPhone. So very reluctantly, I decided to rip it open. But much to my surprise, I found an iPhone 5s in the box. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I almost cried and set it up immediately. I had a hard time focusing on what I was doing, and my tears dropped all over the phone.

On that day, I found out that if I worked hard and did something well, my achievement would be noticed, and I would be rewarded by my parents and grandparents. I also learned I should not make rash judgments about people.

That night, I hugged my grandparents and thanked them so much for their wonderful gift. My grandma told me, “If you work hard, you will have a bright future.” So that is why I am heartened to aim for the best in school next year as well.

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Gift Giving: The Art or Science? Essay (Literature Review)

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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Gift Giving, A Digraph Analysis

Gift giving-anthropological perspective, works cited.

The art of gift giving is a long-standing and ancient act of human behavior. Globally, people appreciate occasions and important dates and people with this act. Gift giving has a direct impact on consumer behavior in organizations. The article delves into this act with special interest in the impact of gift giving in consumer behavior.

Researchers find that there is a process, which is universally followed when people exchange gifts. They conduct a study, which concludes that there exists a roadmap for receipt and reciprocation of gift giving. However, I digress from this study’s conclusions because of a number of misgivings.

First, when people exchange gifts I think there is a reason behind it. Reasons may vary from societal expectations, individual expectations, and personal attempt to gain a favor or appreciation. Whichever the motive, the primary person that is affected is the giver of the gift. Rarely would it affect the receiver to act in a particular way as the study suggests (Belk, 165).

The study finds that both the receiver and giver of a gift are overwhelmed by emotions. These emotions may range from tension to self-evaluation. This is true. However, it is also true that a gift maybe an expression of an emotion. For example, people in love express it through gift giving.

Additionally, it is not logical to conclude that there is some science behind gift selection and giving. In most cases, individuals make impulse purchases as certain items remind them about certain events, people, or family members whom they care. Hence, the relationship between consumer behavior and gift giving does not come out clearly (Belk, 159).

Little research has been directed towards understanding the process of giving gifts. Social scientists have not satisfactorily explained this concept. Additionally, social scientists have not cut a clear line to distinguish other facets of consumer behavior from gift giving.

The paper presents different dimensions of gift giving ranging from personal dimensions to economic dimension. Additionally, the authors present different typologies of gifts. These include donations, gifts, and awards. The paper also comes up with a model that defines gift giving that includes gestation, presentation, and reformulation (Sherry, 160).

It is crucial to note that there is no a universal way of describing the art of giving gifts. The model presented is because of a theory that the authors come up with in the paper. Gift giving is a spontaneous act that is sometimes defined by dates, for example, when a couple gives anniversary gifts. The author does not clearly bring out the consumer behavior aspect of this act. It is also crucial to note that there is virtually no any relationship between gift giving and other consumer behavior theories (Sherry, 159).

Another shortcoming of this study is the failure to bring out the relevance of studying gift giving adequately. What is the impact on organizations? How does studying this affect policy decisions in an organization? Factually, when individuals receive gifts they form lasting bonds with the giver.

If that giver is an ‘organization’, the impact is duly reduced. However, if a CEO presents the gift at a personal capacity, the impact may be tremendous. Hence, gift giving and human relationships aspect should have been the gist of this study not the theory behind the act of gift giving (Sherry, 165).

Belk, Russel W. “It’s the Thought that Counts: A Signed Digraph Analysis of Gift Giving”. Journal of Consumer Research . 3.3 (1976): 155-162. Web.

Sherry, John F. “Gift Giving in Anthropological Perspective”. Journal of Consumer Research . 10.2 (1983): 157-168. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, December 11). Gift Giving: The Art or Science? https://ivypanda.com/essays/gift-giving-case-studies/

"Gift Giving: The Art or Science?" IvyPanda , 11 Dec. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/gift-giving-case-studies/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Gift Giving: The Art or Science'. 11 December.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Gift Giving: The Art or Science?" December 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gift-giving-case-studies/.

1. IvyPanda . "Gift Giving: The Art or Science?" December 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gift-giving-case-studies/.

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IvyPanda . "Gift Giving: The Art or Science?" December 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gift-giving-case-studies/.

Descriptive essay on Unexpected gift

An unexpected gift is a great blessing. An incredible talent is a surprise. It is a beautiful thing. It is a great pleasure. It is a perfect thing. It is a source of happiness. An unexpected gift comes from the heart. It is given with love and joy. It is provided without any expectation. An incredible gift brings a smile to the face. It gives happiness to the heart. It is a perfect thing. A person who gets an unexpected gift feels happy. He thinks that he is loved and appreciated. He believes that he is essential to someone. An incredible estate is the best way to show love and care for someone. It is the best way to make someone happy.

An unexpected gift fills your heart with joy. It brings a lovely smile to your face. An incredible estate is the best way to celebrate any occasion, be it birthday, anniversary, festival or valentine’s day. It is the best way to show that you are thinking about someone all the time. An unexpected gift strengthens the bond of love and trust between two people. An incredible gift makes your relationship stronger. It brings a smile to the face of your beloved.

An unexpected gift is a beautiful way to celebrate any occasion, be it an anniversary, birthday or valentine’s day. It is the best way to show that you are thinking about someone all the time. An unexpected gift strengthens the bond of love and trust between two people. It makes your relationship stronger. An incredible talent is a great blessing for everyone. It is a perfect thing. A person who gets an unexpected gift feels happy. He thinks that he is loved and appreciated.

He believes that he is essential to someone. It comes from the heart. It is given with love and joy. An unexpected gift brings a smile to the face. An incredible talent is a great blessing for me, for you and everyone else on this earth. It is the best way to show your love and care for someone. It is the best way to make someone happy. Unexpected gift fills our hearts with joy. It brings a lovely smile to our faces.

An incredible estate is the best way to celebrate any occasion, be it birthday, anniversary, festival or valentine’s day. It is the best way to show that you are thinking about someone all the time. An unexpected gift strengthens the bond of love and trust between two people. An incredible estate is a beautiful way to celebrate any occasion, be it an anniversary, birthday or valentine’s day. It is the best way to show that you are thinking about someone all the time. An unexpected gift strengthens the bond of love and trust between two people. It makes your relationship stronger.

An incredible estate is a great blessing for everyone. It is the best way to show your love and care for someone. It is the best way to make someone happy. An unexpected gift fills your heart with joy. It brings a lovely smile to your face. An incredible estate is the best way to celebrate any occasion, be it an anniversary, birthday or valentine’s day. It is the best way to show that you are thinking about someone all the time.

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Essay on Gifts

Essay on gifts for the students of matric, fa, fsc, 2nd year, intermediate, ba and bsc.

Here is an essay on gifts for the students of Class 10, Class 12, Graduation and other classes. Gifts his essay will discuss different things about Gifts. Gifts are very important in our daily life. There are 2 types of gifts, good gifts and bad gifts. Good gifts are those which we give to our friends, family and relatives and bad gifts are those which are given as bribery. The complete essay on Gifts is as under. Students can write the same essay with some changes and more content under the title, essay on gift you received, importance of gifts essay, a beautiful gift essay, an unexpected gift essay, the first gift i received essay.

Importance of Gifts Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation

Gifts occupy an important place in our social life. They build our relations with other people. We exchange gifts with other people on our festivals. The Eid gifts, the birthday gifts and gifts exchanged between friends are the routine of our life. They speak of our love for one another. There are gifts which are given merely out of material considerations. A subordinate may give a gift to his officer in order to win his favour. Gifts are given as a form 0f bribery. Such gifts are not liked by anybody in the society. Our religion attaches great importance to the exchange of gifts. The Holy Prophet ( PBUH ) has stressed the need and importance of exchanging gifts. He has urged us to exchange gifts because they increase love among us.

But the gifts given as bribery do not increase love. They are the expression of our selfish nature. They are given to get some material benefit. Real gifts are the expression of our inner goodness and sincerity. They build love between a husband and wife, a lover and his beloved, a teacher and the taught. Gifts should not be exploited for selfish interests. it is very difficult to select the right type of gift. It is wrong to overload people with what they already possess. We offer silver button hooks to a friend on marriage when he already possesses a plentiful of them. Articles of furniture exchanged between families are not gifts.

There is no element of surprise in them. Some people buy gifts from the market and present them to their friends and relatives. This is a business like any mechanical way of presenting gifts.

The selection of gifts is an art our gifts must represent two things.

First, they must fulfil the needs of our friends and relatives.

Second, they must be the creation of ourselves. They must be the part of our own nature.

A gift must not be asked for. It should be unexpected like a lily in winter and should not smack of a commercial transaction. It should reflect the personality and temperament of the giver of the gift. Even a small and insignificant gift on the part of the giver should be welcomed with feelings of gratitude. Small gifts like flowers, branches of trees, perfume or rose leaf should not be discouraged. They are also remembered by the recipient with feelings of thankfulness and emotions.

Gifts are token of love, trust and goodwill. They play an important part in making us love one another. They stir our memory and sentiment. They arouse our feelings or generosity. The giving of a gift brings to surface all the good qualities which we possess. They make us humble and help us shedding off our pride and vanity. It is our goodness for others Which urge us to give gifts to our relations and help us overcoming our prejudices and base feelings.

After essay on gifts, go for essay on superstitions . You should also visit, Essay with Quotations or Essay Quotations in English.

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6 Thoughtful Ways to Gift Your Writing

by David Safford | 11 comments

There are so many items you can buy that can make a great gift. But what if this year, you give something different? What if the perfect gift you give this year is writing instead of things ?

In this article, I will share six ways you can gift your writing this year.

Looking for creative ideas for gifts for writers in your life? Check out our full guide, 100 Best Gifts for Writers .

Do You Also Get Tired of Consumerism?

I love the Christmas season.

I love decorating the tree and baking cookies with my daughter. I love wrapping presents and hiding them from prying eyes.

But with every passing holiday season, I find myself loving something less and less each year: rampant consumerism, and the impossible expectations that come with it.

If you’re anything like me, making room in the budget for pricy gifts is a challenge. The bombardment of commercials doesn’t make it any easier. It seems like every ad shows a happy family unwrapping televisions, expensive smartphones, and new car keys — without a single moment of financial stress or credit card debt!

In daily life, we just can’t keep up with the Joneses.

If you're like me and feeling all of this, you might want to try something different this year. The best, most thoughtful gift you could give might not be something that comes from your wallet, but from putting pen to paper.

A Priceless Gift for Your Loved Ones

Each Christmas, I’ve found a solution to consumerism: “gifting” my writing.

It’s taken many forms. And while it isn’t free, it scales wonderfully because I can usually duplicate or copy the same gift writing to each family “unit,” or group of loved ones.

If you’re like me, you may wonder if this qualifies as a gift. “Isn’t that just hawking my stuff?” you may ask.

Here’s the trick: w rite something new for the gift.

Even if it’s just one new short story, a single poem, or a new “bonus” chapter to a book, create something new that is just for your loved ones on this specific holiday.

Then, if you have any crafting or tech skills, you can spruce it up and make it look really creative and/or professional!

When we give the gift of our writing, we're giving something that's precious. We’re giving our:

Heart and soul
Time and attention
High-value artistic creation

And when those closest to us receive something created specifically for them, it’s a gift that can't be found anywhere else, exchanged at the mall, or shipped back to Amazon.

It’s priceless.

6 Ways to Gift Writing This Holiday Season

As I’ve gifted my writing over the years, I’ve attempted a variety of approaches with varying success. I’ve included strategies I used as a teenager, college student, and adult, so find an approach that works best for your timeline and budget.

Your gift can be whatever you want it to be . It can be wildly fictitious or true-to-life. It can be memoir. It can be something experimental that you’re trying out. It can be poetry, short story, flash fiction, novella, novel, serialized story, a collection of blog posts — nearly anything.

And don’t forget — you can do this in advance and plan for next year !

1. Write/Say What You Want

Before going any further, we have to address an important issue: writing for family can be tough.

Some of us might use writing as a form of escape from family. If that’s true, perhaps gifting your writing will work best for distant relatives or close friends, rather than family members.

It’s up to you what’s best. But whatever you do, do not to use this writing as therapy (though it can be therapeutic to tell stories in your own voice, and then share that with family, distant relatives, or friends and loved ones when the time is right).

It’s up to you whom you feel safe sharing your writing with, and what types of writing you feel safe sharing.

Either way, don’t make the mistake of discounting your voice and its priceless value as a gift.

2. Get Crafty

Back in high school, I printed pages of my short stories and glued them to construction paper and used string as the binding. I colored the cover with colored pencils and was very pleased with the result.

I highly recommend this for younger gift-givers when limited by budgets and time.

By raiding the arts and crafts drawers of your house, you may be surprised what tools are available to create some fun projects for your family. This can work well for any special occasion, especially this holiday season!

3. Mimic Professional Printing

With access to a few more resources, you can construct a professional-looking book with printed pages and card stock. Using online tutorials, I figured how to format a double-sided, paginated booklet, and then used textured card stock for the cover. The textured card stock goes a long way to creating the “feel” of a professional piece of printing, even if the resulting book is rather slim.

With this approach, make sure you have access to a “long stapler,” so you can accurately staple the center spine of the booklet. Copy shops, or your workplace’s copy or mailroom, often have one of these that you can use.

Tapping in to your inner Pam Beasley can be fun and festive!

4. Go Professional … but Plan Ahead!

If you decide to enlist a professional book printer, or print-on-demand service, you have to plan far in advance. I’m learning this the hard way this year, as some of my gifts won’t ship on time and I’ll have to send a “preview” before the actual book arrives.

This is a great option if you have a longer work that you want to gift to a large amount of people.

This year I’m gifting a book to fifteen family/friend units (grandparents, aunts/uncles, parents, friends, etc) for around $60 total. Out of the eleven stories in it, four have never been published outside of The Write Practice Pro , and three have never been published at all. They’re just for my loved ones.

But you have to plan ahead.

I recommend ordering your books by December 1, especially if you have to wrap and ship them to distant family units.

While this won’t help you with Christmas 2021, it’s a great option as you look ahead to 2022—and start planning your gift budget far in advance.

5. Think Outside the “Book” Box

So far, I’ve only described gift ideas for “books.” What about other media? Here are some suggestions of other ways to share your writing, stories, and creative talents for the holidays:

Record your stories or novel into an audiobook, and give CDs, flash drives, or printed “book covers” (with a download link) as gifts!
Record YouTube videos and share the URL exclusively with the gift recipients. Perhaps print screenshots and wrap them up as a gift!
Partner with an artist or illustrator (preferably with a spouse or another family member) to give paired gifts of art and word!
Offer a creative writing lesson to friends or family members that have expressed an interest in storytelling. You can “wrap” this as a coupon or voucher!

The truth is that your stories can be given as a gift in many forms, and you’re the best person to come up with clever ways to share that with those who mean the most!

6. Personalize the Story

Finally, no matter what you do, find ways to personalize the writing or the packaging.

This year I’m dedicating my gift to a family member who is a fellow writer. He wants to thrive as a creative writer, but hasn’t due to the exhausting grind of work and family life.

I’m also including a “ Foreword ” in which I share how we sometimes forget the reason for Christmas, the story of the Man that I and many other people worship and love.

So what can you say, even in just a hundred words, to positively reach out to your family?

Of course, this isn’t the time to air long-standing grievances or call out specific persons, but it is a place you can personalize the story and share your heart, if you feel so inclined.

Consider signing each book, or project, to the recipients.

Let them know that you touched it and thought of them personally. Maybe leave notes to individual loved ones throughout the project. Tiny shout-outs make people feel remembered and special. That alone is a priceless, powerful gift.

Whatever you do, give it little personal touches that really accent the meaning behind the season and the gift you’re giving.

What to Write When Giving a Gift

Now that you've created your gift (go you!), it's time to put your writing skills to work one more time before the big finale.

Surprisingly, a lot of gift givers—yes, even writers—fall short of words when it comes to writing that special message on the tag or in a card. You want to make it personal and meaningful, and doing this means avoiding those familiar cliches. (It's beginning to look a lot like . . .)

To help kickstart your personalized holiday message, here are some ideas on what to write when giving a gift this pandemic year:

Even if we can't be together in person, I hope you know how much you mean to me this and every season.
It's been a tough year! I hope this gift will bring a smile to your face, and also give you comfort and joy as we head into the New Year. (Come on 2022!)
This year wasn't anything we expected. Here's to hoping this surprise gives you some long awaited joy.
Pouring all my warm wishes and love into your gift this year.
Thinking of you with love and joy this holiday season, and hoping this gives you exactly that.

Still stuck on this? Check out a Christmas card store like Shutterfly or Hallmark for some general messages, and then put a twist on one or two of the words (or phrases) to make the message your own.

What About Gifts for Writers?

This article is about how to gift your writing to others this year. As a writer, you might also be wondering what are some great gifts for writers.

For full details on gifts for writers, check out this great article .

However, for some quick and cleaver ideas, consider a gift for writers that will make them writer happy, like:

A gift card to their favorite coffee shop or tea brand
A paperback book or pre-order of a hardcover they can't wait will come out next year
A first edition of their favorite book
Audible subscription (they can choose from thousands of audiobooks!)
Kindle Unlimited

These are only some of many ideas perfect for a book lover, especially one who is also a writer.

Give the Gift of Writing With Confidence

Finally, when the big moment comes and everyone is opening their gifts, sit tall and smile. Don’t cower or slouch your shoulders in shame.

And when they open the book and see what it is, let them enjoy it. If they compliment you, say, “You’re welcome!” or “I hope you enjoy it!” Don’t apologize that it’s not a new iPhone. Don’t explain yourself or your poverty or lack of creativity or anything else.

Give your gift with confidence!

What is more meaningful: A $20 Starbucks gift card that took five minutes to buy? Or a $5 book that took twenty hours to write, edit, print, personalize, and wrap?

Give with the confidence that you are a storyteller and you are giving to those you care about the most. Because if there’s anything we should be consuming more of each Christmas, it’s meaningful time with the people who mean most to us.

I hope this helps you do just that!

Have you ever given someone the gift of your writing? Do you have other creative gift writing ideas? Let us know in the comments .

Take fifteen minutes and start a new piece of writing that can be a gift to your loved ones this year. It can be a poem, short story, flash fiction, memoir, blog post — anything that comes from your story. Don't worry about whom it's for yet. Just take an idea or piece of inspiration and run with it, and write it with its possible “gift” role in mind.

When you're done, share your potential gift writing in the comments . I'd love to read your gift “inklings” and encourage you onward as creative gift-givers! Happy writing and Happy Holidays!

David Safford

You deserve a great book. That's why David Safford writes adventure stories that you won't be able to put down. Read his latest story at his website. David is a Language Arts teacher, novelist, blogger, hiker, Legend of Zelda fanatic, puzzle-doer, husband, and father of two awesome children.

11 Comments

I agree this is a perfect gift, one with a personal touch. Several years ago, I wrote a novella based on my in-laws ancestors set during the Civil War. I included actual letters that had been written by these ancestors and preserved by great grandparents and grandparents through the years. I had it printed and bound by blurb.com and gave it to my father-in-law for Christmas. I noticed last weekend when we visited that the book was beside his recliner. He was re-reading it all these years later. The gift that keeps on giving? You bet!

Awww Glenda what a beautiful gift! They do say that food tells a story. A fab idea!

I love this gift and want to read it for myself!

Thanks for the article! I wanted to make poems for my teachers…I wasn’t too sure about it but this gave me confidence. So thank you. Merry Christmas!

They’ll love it! (I’m a teacher and I would cherish something like this, so there’s my 2 cents)

I find this idea quite challenging, David, but will give it a go anyway. I so agree with what you say about rampant consumerism. To my demanding grandchildren my refrain for years has been “Remember I’m a pensioner!”.

This is not my actual writing, but an alternative plan for what seems possible. I plan one page per family member. On that page I shall include a photo or a drwing that personalises that person. Next I will write a short positive memory of good times we have shared together in the past. There will be a dozen or more pages, and the entire collection will be sent to each person who figures in “my gift of writing” Having thought it through, shared and documented my intention I realise I actually like my plan but it will be for next year – AND I WON’T FORGET TO WRITE IT.

Joe, as I was reading these ways to give the gift of a writer, my idea was born. Taking some time off from my memoir, I wrote, well it started out as a short story but grew to a, novella. I have it all written but have editing and cleaning up to get it completely finished. So I’m thinking that I will pick a small section from my Novella and when I get the whole picture good enough to share, I will ask them from, where did the section I gave them, come? I hope they will accept the challenge aand enjoy it. I will suitably present each piece. Thanks for jogging my mind.

PS: It’s been a long day of writing and I left out the important thing which is I have four grown daughters and several grand children (who are adults) and the great grand children are too young to do anything but chew up the words. These are the ‘them’ in my comments.

Great ideas, David. Many years ago, I was interested in bookbinding. I made Christmas books for family that included my poems, my young son’s imaginative story, and a humorous story penned by my husband. I hand-bound duplicated copies, complete with fabric covered cardboard covers. In more recent times, I wrote a memoir for myself one year and co-wrote one for my husband the next year, giving them as spiral-bound volumes for our family and closest friends. All very satisfying.

Before this, I had already planned to give my best friend a book of quotes and poems by yours truly. I hope she likes it.

Hmm, shared this article with a friend of mine, who is a writer, he loved this gift !

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Essay on “an unexpected gift” for students and children, best essay, paragraph, speech for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in english language..

An unexpected gift

Sameer my friend had just returned from his vacation in Australia. His Dad had gifted him the Play Station III, Nike shoes and a casio keyboard. Sameer’s mom gave me a box of Australian candy and soon Sameer and I got busy playing on the play station.

I kept wondering how lucky Sameer was that his Dad lived in Australia. My Dad couldn’t afford to get us expensive gifts, so a trip to Australia would always be just a dream. When I was leaving Sameer followed me holding a tee shirt with a kangaroo on it. He said, “Here! Take this, it’s for you, so what if you can’t go to Australia, Australia can come to you”.

It was the most wonderful gift I could have received. I immediately put it on. Imagine having a kangaroo on my chest although I have never been to Australia. I refused to change the tee shirt the whole day.

R.E.S.T.—A Guided Practice for the Tired and Weary

Rashid Hughes invites us to become more familiar with our inner spaciousness—where the pleasure of resting in awareness is sacred and healing.

By Rashid Hughes
February 1, 2024
Guided Meditations

Is mindfulness really for everyone? It depends on whose voices are allowed to respond to this question. Western mindfulness often presents practices as universally beneficial, making the obvious answer seem to be yes. But does mindfulness mean the same thing to everyone? Do all practices fit all people? Have we fully considered ancestral grief, transgenerational trauma, nervous systems, and brain science when we define mindfulness practice? Although we frequently use words like diversity and inclusion in mindfulness communities, are we truly mindful of how complex and neurodiverse we are as human beings?

It’s unrealistic to assume that our psyches are somehow magically separate from the ever-present social and political chaos that we are forced to exist in.

Often, in my personal practice, I contemplate the fact that many people experience a great deal of stress while trying to focus on the breath and control their attention for long periods of time. In fact, mindfulness practices that instruct people to confront their inner world directly, and to quiet the mind, can feel very disorienting for BIPOC, trauma survivors, people from marginalized communities, and even those of us who are simply exhausted due to hardships and life. Not to mention, many of us who find ourselves living in the abovementioned identity locations and communities are survivors of a racist, capitalist, and patriarchal society that devalues our bodies, rest, relaxation, and our very existence.

It’s unrealistic to assume that our psyches are somehow magically separate from the ever-present social and political chaos that we are forced to exist in . The impact of systemic injustice lives in the tissues of our bodies and within the corners of our psyches. And these are the realities we should consider when discussing mindfulness and meditation.

It is essential, now more than ever, that we find ways to pause, grieve, and feel the fullness of reconnecting with the ritual of resting and being aware.

As this is further compounded by the fact we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and the rise of white supremacist terrorist groups, it is essential—now more than ever—that we find ways to pause, grieve, and feel the fullness of reconnecting with the ritual of resting and being aware. As a whole, our culture has failed to provide ways for us to return to and remember the natural rhythm of rest that we often see so beautifully reflected in nature and in many Indigenous cultures around the world. I hope the “R.E.S.T.” practice will be a refuge for many who may find slowing down difficult during these challenging times.

What Is R.E.S.T.?

R.E.S.T. is an antidote to capitalism-fatigue and self-improvement, in that it focuses more on being than doing. This practice is intended to help us integrate moments of personal intimacy and awareness into our daily lives. R.E.S.T. is an invitation to become more familiar with our inner spaciousness—and give ourselves permission to pause and relax into this space, without guilt.

R.E.S.T. is neither a form of sleep therapy, nor a call for us to take more naps—which can easily become an escape from reality. Instead, it is an invitation for all people to rediscover belonging and awareness in “just being.” In this practice, our natural state of restfulness is our starting and finishing point. As such, there is no longer the burden of needing to “calm down” or “manage your emotions”—phrases that are often reflective of the language used by white racist culture to silence the voices of BIPOC who openly name and speak out against injustice, hate, and violence. We learn to experience ourselves in a new and liberated way, where the pleasure of resting in awareness is sacred and healing. There are no prerequisite practices for awareness; we are awareness. Resting naturally and embracing spaciousness is the practice, and the four pillars of R.E.S.T. will help us reimagine meditation, liberation, and rest as one.

Release, Empty, Surrender, Trust

There are many options for working with the practice of R.E.S.T. Some may prefer to follow these pillars in order as a complete practice, while others may find it better to spend time with one pillar for an extended period of time. Ultimately, these pillars should become living mantras in everyday activities or during any informal meditation session. I encourage testing the pillars as a formal meditation practice, then spending time with specific points that speak to your needs at the moment.

R is for Relax your attention. Release.

E is for Exhale all striving. Empty.

S is for Sense the silence. Surrender.

T is for Tune in to awareness. Trust.

Relax your attention. Release. The R serves as a gentle reminder to allow your attention to rest naturally, not focusing on anything in particular. Another way of conveying this message is “Be as you are.” Your attention is constantly being pulled to sights and sounds as it is used to complete various tasks throughout the day, but seldomly is it invited to relax. When you release your attention, as opposed to turning your attention outward to attend to something, a spontaneous feeling of relaxation arises. As your attention settles and relaxes more deeply in its natural state, you will recognize awareness as a place for all your mental and emotional activity to rest. An image that comes to mind for R is a pebble gradually sinking in a bottomless body of water.

Exhale all striving. Empty. The E is an invitation to let go of all imagined ideas of what should and shouldn’t be happening in the moment and in life. Opening to and being accepting of the present moment is how we let go of unnecessary efforting. Embodying the E can be challenging because many adopt the belief that success in meditation practice is based on the ability to achieve some form of fulfillment. One common example of striving is attempting to clear the mind in order to reach a state beyond thinking or feeling. When such an intention is adopted, a natural gap between the moment and the desired state is created, leaving the practitioner no choice but to strive to fulfill our imagined sense of lack.

An image that comes to mind for E is someone riding a bike down a hill and pedaling with lots of effort, and then letting go of pedaling by enjoying the ease of naturally being carried by the momentum of the hill.

Sense the silence. Surrender. The S points to silence—the natural quietness that seems to hide in the background of the mind. This silence is not dependent on the ceasing of external sounds or inner thoughts and feelings. We can sense the silence of the mind during all experiences, no matter how intense. Sensing, here, means becoming aware of this ever-present silence and also feeling the spacious quality of the silence. Once the S is mastered, you will learn that this silence and spaciousness can never be overpowered by any experience or turned off by any noise.

An image that comes to mind for S is looking at the space around the objects in a room and then feeling the space in the room.

Tune in to awareness. Trust. The T calls you to trust your personal experience of being aware. When you tune in to awareness, you recognize that you are aware of the fact that you are aware. Awareness is the knowing quality of your mind found in all experience. Being aware is an effortless experience, yet it feels like effort is needed. It is inherent to being, just like heat is inherent to fire. Because the content within awareness can be so distracting, it may seem like you have to do something in order to cultivate awareness. However, the invitation to tune in to awareness encourages us to notice that we are awareness, and awareness is always present.

An image that comes to mind for T is the sun effortlessly shining during all weather conditions.

A 12-Minute Guided Meditation for R.E.S.T.

A 12 Minute Meditation to R.E.S.T with Rashid Hughes

1. Find a comfortable posture of your choice. This could be a sitting posture, standing, or lying down.

2. If you choose to keep your eyes open, let your gaze rest, lowered on a point in front of you. If you choose to keep your eyes closed, rest your eyelids comfortably.

3. Set your intention toward relaxing and effortlessness.

4. Whenever you notice yourself shifting into “doing” or “thinking,” simply return back to your original intention, and begin again.

5. Relax your attention. Release any fixation that you might have on any object. Be as ordinary and natural as possible. If you notice that your attention becomes fixated or distracted, simply relax.

6. Exhale all striving. Empty yourself of any effort toward achieving a particular outcome or result. Remain open and accepting to the present moment. Let your experience be as it is.

7. Sense the silence. Surrender all attachment to what you notice, and feel the intuitive sense of silence within you. Be aware of the silence and feel the vastness of the silence.

8. Tune in to awareness. Recognize that you are naturally aware, and you are conscious of this awareness. Trust this effortless knowing and the silence. There’s nothing to do, and nowhere to go. Just rest.

9. When you are ready to end the practice, gently bring your attention to your surroundings and invite simple movements to your body.

Finding Space to Love, Trust and Rest

Frank Ostaseski
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A Guided Meditation for Gathering Your Energy

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Rashid Hughes

Rashid Hughes (he/him) is a writer, meditation teacher, yoga instructor and a restorative justice facilitator. He is the cofounder of the Heart Refuge Mindfulness Community , a mindfulness community in Washington, DC that is dedicated to inspiring Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to live with love and courage. Rashid is an Affiliate Teacher for the Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC and is also a teacher of the Presence Collective. He holds a Master of Divinity Degree from the Howard University School of Divinity and recently published an article in Lions Roar Magazine "When Aggression Masquerades as Compassion." Rashid will be offering a five-week online course and practice group on R.E.S.T. Registration will be opening the week of February 22, 2021. You can find the registration link here

A 12-Minute Meditation on Abundance in Nature

Mark Coleman

April 2023 Issue № 59

A Guided Meditation to Train Moment-to-Moment Awareness
9 Mindfulness Books to Add to Your Reading List
Women Are Leaders of Mindfulness at Work—Here’s Why
7 Mindful Movement Practices for Daily Life
The Science of Wonder
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Guest Essay

Trump’s Most Dangerous Gift

By Brenda Wineapple

Ms. Wineapple is a historian and author. Her forthcoming book is about the Scopes trial.

When a Manhattan jury found Donald J. Trump guilty, it should have sent shock waves through the nation. Yet, though the trial and conviction of a former president was unprecedented in American history, it seems most people couldn’t have cared less. As Michelle Goldberg recently noted , only 16 percent of respondents to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll said they had followed the first few weeks of the trial very closely, and when asked how they felt, many replied, “bored.”

In its way, that must have annoyed Mr. Trump: how insulting, that no one would care. There was media coverage, but no frenzy, no rallies around the world in protest when he was convicted. But to win in the court of public opinion, Mr. Trump must now transform a trial in a run-down Manhattan courtroom from a shoulder shrug into an unforgettable event, with a story powerful enough to keep his supporters energized, if not outraged, and to drum up sympathy from the undecideds.

For months, Mr. Trump has been laying the groundwork, spinning his tale of tyranny and martyrdom (his own of course) and styling himself as the victim of an administration that has to play dirty to eliminate a rival as formidable as he. That story of persecution has only grown louder in recent days. Moments after hearing the jury pronounce him guilty, he predictably called the trial “rigged,” the judge “conflicted,” and a trial by jury as well as government institutions like the justice system irrelevant compared with the verdict that galvanized voters will presumably hand him in November. Politics, not the law, is his métier, and history is not his concern. His preoccupation, and his talent, is storytelling.

Instinctively he grasps the kind of broader stories that break through from the courtroom to the public. These stories fueled what pundits, particularly in the 20th century, frequently dubbed the “trial of the century” — trials that captured the hearts and minds of the public, that sold newspapers, and that would grip the whole nation, if not the world, with their cultural significance. Each of these trials riveted the country by bringing to the foreground moral values and failings that affected all Americans.

Take the Scopes monkey trial in Tennessee in 1925, about a new law that barred the theory of evolution from being taught in public schools, which became a showdown between a three-time presidential candidate, the eloquent politician William Jennings Bryan, and the famous defense lawyer Clarence Darrow. Covered day after day on the front page of newspapers coast to coast, it even found its way into Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises.” The issue here was faith and reason, or what passes for both, and whether government could mandate belief. A young high school teacher, John Scopes, purposefully broke the recently passed law “to show,” as the brilliant attorney Arthur Garfield Hays argued, “that such laws result in hate and intolerance, that they are conceived in bigotry and born in ignorance — ignorance of the Bible, of religion, of history, and of science.”

There was the trial of the anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants accused of robbery and murder in Massachusetts, which caused such international indignation that rallies against their execution were held from London to Johannesburg. Edna St. Vincent Millay published a poem titled “Justice Denied in Massachusetts” in The New York Times to protest the handling of the Sacco and Vanzetti trial, and Felix Frankfurter called the misrepresentations, suppressions and misquotations of its presiding judge disgraceful.

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I threw caution to the wind to make my son’s dream trip a reality

Oct 6, 2023 • 15 min read

Goodwood Revival, Chichester, UK on September 9, 2024

I’ve been an Anglophile for as long as I can remember. My 16-year-old son has been obsessed with automobiles since he could eat solid food. At this year’s Goodwood Revival , we found the perfect day out.

I’d never heard of the “Goodwood Revival Meeting” until my son, Owen, was invited to attend by a British friend of his. My wife and I did a quick search, and it looked like a pleasant weekend of antique car racing in the south of England .

Now, I’ve loved all things English my whole life. The Beatles, Wimbledon and James Bond were my gateway drugs. But after my first visit to London as a nine-year-old, I was hooked on harder stuff: punks, the Tube, “The Young Ones,” dry scones…even cricket! Luckily, my wife shares a borderline unhealthy obsession with the place, and we travel to the UK as often as we can.

But I didn't think this trip was going to work out. We’d had a lean year and couldn’t really afford it. And the dates in question were just as Owen’s junior year of high school was to begin. I found it hard to justify flying all the way from Los Angeles and his missing the first days of class just to watch some old cars go around a track.

“The car gene”

Some background: the “car gene” must be recessive in my family. My parents always owned “sensible” (boring) sedans. When I moved to Los Angeles, driving quickly became the bane of my existence. A car became a necessary evil. Something used to get places, aggravatingly slowly. And car racing made even less sense to me. I thought all motorsports was NASCAR – a loud, unrefined blood sport that was terrible for the environment.

Then we had our son. Owen came out of the womb loving cars. They were the only things he wanted to play with, watch or read about. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you my wife and I could both recite the movie Cars line for line by the time he was six. As he got older, Disney cars were replaced by Hot Wheels, which were replaced by elaborate models of supercars. Cartoons became episodes of Top Gear and early morning Formula 1 races. He’s now planning on focusing on mechanical engineering in college and getting a master’s degree in motorsports. His goal is to become a design engineer for McLaren, Aston Martin or Mercedes.

A few days after a “Sorry, kid, maybe another time” talk, I ran into Rick, my rabid car-enthusiast friend. He had recently driven in the Mille Miglia in Italy (I googled it). I mentioned the invite we were about to turn down. Frustration washing over his face, he told me if there was one automobile event in the world for which he would drop everything, it would be the one I was about to callously deprive my son of.

“Your son is into motorsports, and you’ve been offered tickets to Goodwood?! You have to go.” Rick shook his head in disbelief. “You just have to.”

No sleep till Goodwood

So we booked it – credit-card interest rates be damned. It would be a whirlwind trip affecting Owen’s crucial, penultimate year as little as possible. Fly in on Friday, drive down to the race on Saturday, catch our breath Sunday and back to LA on Monday. No. Sleep! Till Goodwood!!

For the as-yet unenlightened, “Goodwood” refers to an estate in West Sussex, owned by the 11th Duke of Richmond. I could bore you with details of the history of the place – which dates back to the 1600s and an illegitimate son of Charles II – but the important bit (as I understand it) is this: during World War II, the 9th Duke allowed the RAF to build a runway on his land to help fight the Battle of Britain. After the war, he turned the newly built ring road around this makeshift airbase into a motor circuit and staged races for the public until 1966. In 1998, the current Duke “revived” the tradition, creating the late-summer event celebrated every year.

“Did we tell you it’s important to dress in period costume?” This was the next text we received after we accepted our friends’ invite.

Because the event is a celebration of the golden age of motorsport, the Goodwood Revival is designed to take one back in time to the 1940s and 1950s. Attendees are encouraged to play along and dress accordingly. I believe the English call this “fancy dress” – a term that (no surprise) I love. Lucky for us, my wife’s niece is a costume designer and hooked us all up with some vintage duds. We were all set.

As instructed by our hosts, we set off from London bright and early to beat the crowds and arrive in time for the first race. By the time we’d gotten to Guildford, the countryside had become absolutely spectacular in the morning sun. Rolling green hills could be glimpsed when not in a corridor of ubiquitous British hedgerows. Each village pub looked more inviting than the last. But it was important not to be distracted and keep the throttle down – because as we neared our destination, we had plenty of company.

“Dad, you’re holding everything up,” my son admonished from the backseat. In the rear-view there was a man in a tweed vest and driving cap, anachronistically driving a red Ferrari. And he was none too pleased with me getting reacquainted with the right-hand drive in my pokey rented Nissan. Behind the tailgating Italian stallion was someone in a muscle-y Mustang Cobra, followed by a few other sports cars whose names my son gleefully called out as they roared past. All I knew was I was the “arsehole” holding things up as they overtook me on the straight.

Traffic built as we approached Chichester, and we began to see quite a few frustrated gentlemen in three-piece suits and jaunty hats with iPhones to their ears, standing beside their olde-time cars with the bonnet (that’s a “car hood” for you Yanks) open and steaming. Turns out, the 1930s Bentleys and Rolls Royces weren’t faring well already, because even though it was September in England, temperatures were already in the low 30s Celsius (90s Fahrenheit). I suppose there was at least one advantage to driving a 2019 Versa with laughably low horsepower.

High-in-the-sky-at-the-2023-Goodwood-Revival.-Ph.-by-Jordan-Butters..jpg

Back in time

We parked in a field and made our way to the entrance, surrounded by women in polka dotted dresses with pompadour hairstyles and men wearing all manner of fedoras and braces. Our friends were right: seemingly everyone attending had made an effort to wear some fashion of the era. At the gate were men and women checking tickets in woolen WWII uniforms and period overalls. I knew that I was entering a world so quintessentially English...it was group cosplay on a level that Americans could never pull off. Even in the sweltering sun and high humidity, the English were game.

And that made the whole thing even more English.

It wasn’t lost on me that 80 years ago, this country was bearing the brunt of the Nazi war machine with stiff upper lips and a dignified resolve. From this piece of land, young men were flying off, never to return home. In that context, are you really going to complain about itchy trousers or uncomfortable shoes? What’s a little bit of sweat and some blistered feet compared to the Blitz? Keep calm and carry your jacket, if you must. “At least it isn’t tipping down rain,” someone opined behind me, a pproaching peak English.

If you’ve come all that way and regret wearing a tank top and shorts, don’t despair. There are all manner of shops and tents where you can buy a vintage outfit or polish off your look with the right accessory. You can even purchase some period racing overalls for the kids. Ladies can pop into a salon to have their hair done. There’s really no excuse not to play along, and I found myself tut-tutting the rare spectator who broke the communal illusion with cargo shorts or some new trainers.

Breakfast for champions

We walked through the tunnel under the track and found our friends in time for a quick breakfast in one of the pavilions which thankfully offered a little bit of respite from the heat and humidity. (I have no idea about the different level of tickets there are to the event. I assume, like Wimbledon or The Open, there are different prices for grounds passes and those offering access to the various pavilions and grandstands. The website only allows you to “enquire” about booking for next year. I highly suggest you do.) All I know is I’m eternally grateful to Owen’s friend for handling the arrangements and reserving us a place to sit near some albeit meager air con.

I studied the Racing Program , complete with vintage advertisements for motor oil and cigarettes. The first race was about to begin! “A 20-minute race for Grand Prix and Voiturette cars of a type that raced between 1930 and 1951.” In layman’s terms? Picture an old, old race car – basically a cigar of metal with one seat and four big tires. Put the guy driving it behind a big wooden steering wheel wearing leather goggles. You’ve got the idea.

You knew a race started simply by the sound of it. My hunch is that in 1930s grand prix cars, a muffler wasn’t something that came standard. As these nearly century-old machines came popping and moaning down the straight some ways off, the race looked tame, something almost resembling an exhibition. I asked my son how fast these jalopies could go. “Flat out, the leaders are probably hitting 170km per hour (105mph).” What?! Not a chance, I thought.

But Owen was already dragging me closer toward the track.

And they’re off

Lame-dad instincts die hard, I find. I fought the voice in my head urging me to keep my boy far away from any potentially deadly flying bits of crashing car. “We should get as close to the chicane as we can.” He was speed-walking with delight toward a small swerve in the track that he had already scoped out as the best spot to observe the drivers’ skills. I highly recommend doing the same when you go; even I could recognize the strength and artistry needed. Hard on the brake, downshift, then punch the throttle while somehow managing to stay on the track.

As they fought these antique beasts through the jog, missing the barrier with centimeters to spare, Owen was grinning ear to ear. (And anyone with a 16-year-old knows outward shows of enthusiasm are not their strong suit.) Watching these machines roar past made me a quick convert. It turns out there’s something thrilling about seeing man push machine to both their limits. And this was going to be the slowest race of the day!

For any motorcycle enthusiasts, the next event was a competition for pre-1966 racing bikes. (Luckily for this lame dad, going over 100mph on only two wheels has no appeal for my son.) The break from the cars offered us a chance to use our badges to go on a tour of the paddocks. It didn’t disappoint.

Sensory overload

It’s actually hard for me to put into words what a stroll through the aisles of Goodwood’s paddocks does to one’s senses. From every corner of the stalls, majestic motors roar to life as the cars are tested and prepped for their races. Most stalls include grizzled men with hand-rolled cigarettes lit and toolboxes opened nearby, prepared to adjust or fix or tweak at a moment’s notice. (Some are friendlier than others, but many are up for a chat or to answer a question from an inquisitive teen.) The smell of petrol (gasoline), tarmac and tobacco mixes, and the sum of the whole somehow becomes more pleasant than its parts.

Visually, it’s overwhelming. Literally hundreds of cars from all eras of motorsport. Pick your poison. Turn-of-the-century Bentleys – maybe a dozen of them – on your left. Scores of Lotuses from 1948 to 1982 on your right, all part of a celebration of 75 years of the brand and triumph of British engineering. Walk a bit further and Emerson Fittipaldi’s former Formula 1 car sits in pieces, giving you an up close look at the (to my uneducated eye) chaos of steel and wires lurking underneath its gleaming exterior. Many of the cars proudly display their provenance.

There’s the oldest surviving Le Mans–winning Bentley. Here’s the Ferrari 250 GTO that won the 1963 RAC TT (whatever that was). This Lotus-Offenhauser Mk-X was evidently ordered by James Dean, but he was killed in a car crash before taking ownership. Some of the rarest cars in the world were sitting there, unattended. Another reminder that we were in England, where proper decorum is respected without being asked.

If you’re stealthy, I recommend glomming onto a group of people listening to someone who knows what they’re talking about. Chances are they do, and you can learn a tidbit or two. According to an older gentleman with a clipboard Carroll Shelby’s first racetrack winner was a 1949 MG TC. And the silver 1962 Ferrari 250 last sold for over 20 million pounds. My son and I lost ourselves in an acre of the most iconic racing cars on the planet.

To be uncouth about it, I was probably looking at billions of dollars in collectors’ items.

No car gene? No problem

I should mention here that there are plenty of things to do for non-car-obsessed in your group. Besides the vintage shops and hair salons, there are vendors of all kinds. Food kiosks and bars line the paths. (Refreshments are also of the era.) There’s also an aviation area devoted to refurbished Spitfires and Tornados, where you can book a helicopter tour of the area. Music stages feature different period styles, and a cinema shows vintage films. Incidentally, children under 12 are free with a paying adult. There’s a Family Experience Area which offers activities and story sessions as well as a “traditional funfair” with old-time rides and games.

Speaking of children…while mine was somewhere filling up his phone with photos, my attention was drawn to a corner of the paddock. Dozens of eight-to-10 year olds in period jackets, ties and dresses sat in metal pedal cars. They were lining up for the next race, awaiting their turn on the hallowed piece of road in the Settrington Cup. I wasn’t going to miss it. I managed to drag Owen back to our place at the fence to watch, and it did not disappoint. These kids picked right up from where the “Voiturette” racers had left off. Their race featured some real “elbows out” driving and more than one crash. (No injuries, happy to report.)

Behold! I am a convert

Now that I was a true believer, I excitedly allowed Owen to educate me on every race. There was something for every car enthusiast. A race of only Porsche 911s from the 1964 to 1966. (Though it’s not his favorite manufacturer, he appreciates the iconic design.) The Lavant Cup featured 15 Ferrari 250GTs. (According to Owen, one of them was a one-of-a-kind SWB from 1961 – he’d overheard a mechanic bragging.) There was even a race devoted to pre-1966 sports prototypes, some of them piloted by world-famous drivers he knew. (I didn’t.)

Were any of these guys pulling back, playing it safe with these priceless specimens? Not that I could tell, as I watched them go wheel to wheel in the straights and skitter into the grass through the chicane. They all wanted to win . When one of those same Ford GTs that I’d been close enough to drip sweat on a few hours ago went off and crashed into the wall in the last race, the collective groan that rolled through the crowd said it all. Thousands of spectators were breathless. Yes, I’m sure there was brief concern for the driver. But that car! That beautiful, beautiful car… My son summed it up as the marshals pushed the wounded hulk to safety: “that was an expensive crash.”

Seven races (not including the kids) complete, the late-summer sun was starting to set. I gently coaxed Owen from his place on the rail, reminding him that the drive back to London was long and not nearly as glamorous as what we’d been watching. We made our way back to the car park passing spent, sunburned fathers with toddlers on their shoulders. Moms bravely limped forward in their vintage heels pushing prams (strollers). English to the end, the queues for last-minute merch were orderly and polite.

I realized we hadn’t even made it to the vintage fairground, with its carousel and dodgems (bumper cars). A few years back, Owen might have grown bored of the racing and asked for a spin or two on the carousel. I got misty-eyed as we trudged by it. Maybe it was the scenic twilight or my probable sunstroke from the day or a combination of the two, but I suddenly missed that little boy, playing with his anthropomorphic toy cars. He was walking ahead of me, taller than his mother, holding the silver Goodwood keychain he’d just bought. (His driver’s test is scheduled the week we get back, and then my little boy will be at the mercy of Los Angeles traffic…without me.) In this 1950s ambiance, time felt like it was moving too fast. He’d become a man when I wasn’t looking.

But I managed to push through my melancholy to see what this day had been: a true gift. On a beautiful day in West Sussex, my son’s passion had meshed with mine in magical harmony. I’d let go of preconceptions and allowed my son to lead me for a change. I was walking away with a newfound understanding and appreciation of where he was going while still keeping in my heart where he’d been .

Roy Salvadori said, “Give me Goodwood on a summer’s day, and you can forget the rest of the world.” And when I caught up to Owen, and he put his arm around me, I really did.

And it was grand.

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Gift registries after divorce offer a new way to support loved ones

FILE - Erin Eloise Tulberg poses at home in the Brooklyn borough of New York on May 29, 2024, with her 9-year-old son. Tulberg set up a divorce registry after leaving her marriage with little more than her clothes and her books. (Erin Eloise Tulberg via AP)

FILE - A couple exchanges wedding bands at City Hall in Philadelphia on Oct. 11, 2018. Divorce registries are part of a trend toward breaking the stigma of broken marriages, along with divorce parties and formal divorce announcements akin to wedding and marriage news. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

This Feb. 23, 2023, photo shows sisters Jenny Dreizen, left, and Olivia Dreizen Howell in Huntington, New York. The two co-founded Fresh Starts, a website that offers divorce registries. Such registries, akin to marriage and baby registries, help the newly divorced rebuild their lives. (Terrie Howard via AP)

This May 15, 2024, photo shows Angela Ashurst-McGee at home in Mapleton, Utah. She used a divorce registry to replenish her household goods after her divorce was finalized in March. (Angela Ashurst-MdGee via AP)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Monogrammed towels. A toothbrush holder for four, rather than three. Shared bedding. For people putting a life back together after divorce, mundane household objects can be painful marital reminders.

Also difficult can be the absence of items that departed with the ex-spouse.

Olivia Howell knows all too well how it felt, going through her own divorce in 2019 after eight years of marriage and two kids. Her husband decamped with his stuff and she donated other items that triggered unwelcome emotions to a thrift shop.

“What was left in the house was almost nothing,” she said.

Howell then got busy replenishing, and trying to make the experience better for others through Fresh Starts. It’s a gift registry specifically for rebuilding after divorce that’s also packed with vetted experts if needed and other resources.

Divorce registries are part of a trend toward breaking the stigma of broken marriages, along with divorce parties and formal divorce announcements akin to wedding and marriage news.

Howell built Fresh Starts from the ground up with her sister, Jenny Dreizen, who found herself in a similar situation after the end of a long-term relationship. Nearly three years after launch, it remains a rare support resource offering divorce-specific registries for those starting over, and for loved ones who may struggle to find the right words and ways to reach out.

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“I thought, you know, I had a baby registry and I had a wedding registry. This is when I actually need things to restock my life. I need the community support. I need new towels. I need new sheets, I need new utensils,” the 39-year-old Howell said.

Today, Fresh Starts has between 50,000 and 70,000 monthly visitors. The sisters also host a podcast, “A Fresh Story,” featuring guests discussing how they began again after divorce or navigated other huge life changes.

Erin Eloise Tulberg, a yoga teacher, actor and dancer in Brooklyn, has not yet finalized her divorce as she works out custody arrangements for her 9-year-old son. She started using Fresh Starts last summer at the suggestion of a friend.

“There was an immediate need for me to get my own apartment. I was moving into a place with absolutely nothing. I had no furniture. I had no kitchenware. I had my clothes and my books,” said Tulberg, 37.

The situation, she said, was “kind of scary.” Originally from Washington state, her closest family and friends are scattered around the country.

“It was a great way to have my friends rally behind me,” Tulberg said of her registry.

Flowers, bottles of wine, and a pile of “I’m sorrys” or “congratulations,” depending, are often how divorce news plays out. Those looking to support their friends or relatives don’t often think about the need for a lamp or new sheets, Howell said.

They may also not understand the emotional impact that simple objects can take on. New household goods at a time of rupture and despair can draw community closer and become totems, a rebirth of sorts, said Leslie Jamison, a Brooklyn novelist and essayist whose latest book, “Splinters,” is a personal exploration of her own divorce.

“Part of it is a kind of faith and hope and trust that a new version of one’s life, household, family not only is possible but can be filled with beauty,” she said.

This May 15, 2024, photo shows Angela Ashurst-McGee at home in Mapleton, Utah. She used a divorce registry to replenish her household goods after her divorce was finalized in March. (Angela Ashurst-MdGee via AP)

Howell, among the first of her friends to get divorced, had loved ones who checked in daily to make sure she was eating and sleeping. They sent Mother’s Day gifts after her separation just ahead of the holiday. And they reassured her with standing offers to assist in any way.

But there was a lot they didn’t immediately understand.

“Every time I would go into the bathroom, I would feel horrible because I would see a toothbrush holder for a life that I thought I was going to have. It made me feel so much shame and guilt, and all of those other feelings that come with divorce,” Howell said.

One day, her sister showed up with a new one just for three.

“I still get emotional talking about it because it was really like, OK, this is happening. I’m going to be OK,” Howell said.

For Tulberg, it was matching beds for her and her son. They share a studio apartment.

“Suddenly, I had things from all of my friends that are real and tangible and not ephemeral,” she said. “I look at my plates and I know exactly who they’re from. My friends say it feels good to be able to give something solid and real to us.”

Many retail registries can be set up for a multitude of purposes, including divorce.

Fresh Starts uses Amazon. It suggests bundles of items ranging from $99 to $500. Among the bedroom, kitchen, home office and bathroom essentials are a shower curtain, a can opener, a bedside clock, a humidifier. The site also groups bundles by room, including child-size hangers and a night light that projects the stars for a young one’s space.

Recipients can go the bundle route when choosing what to list, or they can pluck specific items from them. They can also select anything else on Amazon. Getting to the emotional place that allows someone newly separated to reach out for this kind of tangible help isn’t always easy.

“It’s about meeting people where they are,” Howell said.

Divorce talk can be awkward. Fresh Starts offers text prompts covering how to introduce a registry to loved ones, along with suggestions for what friends and relatives can say.

Howell doesn’t describe divorce registries as “gift registries” but rather “support registries.” Some of her users create registries for other reasons, too.

Not everyone is on board with the idea. Howell hears from a lot of haters.

“There are some people that are very against it because they feel like divorce shouldn’t be celebrated. We’re saying that divorce is a brave decision and that you should be honored for that brave decision and supported,” she said.

This May 15, 2024, photo shows Angela Ashurst-McGee at home in Mapleton, Utah. (Angela Ashurst-MdGee via AP)

Angela Ashurst-McGee, 52, finalized her divorce in March after six kids and 32 years of marriage. She and her husband took turns choosing what they wanted in their 3,000-square-foot house about an hour south of Salt Lake City. She, too, heard about registries from a friend.

“So it was like, I want the sofa in the living room, I want the sofa in the sunroom, I want the hedge trimmer. I want the drill, you know, down to the waffle maker,” she said. “Just on a practical level, I needed to replace various things. And also, I felt like this is a big life event that I think we should kind of rally around and celebrate.”

One of her sisters set up her registry on Amazon, without using Fresh Starts. Ashurst-McGee chose a few just-for-fun things among her essentials, including twinkle lights for her backyard patio.

“Everybody who reached out said, I think this is a great idea, or I’ve suggested this to some other people I know. It’s hard to know what to do for somebody who’s getting divorced other than saying, you know, bummer. So it was kind of something concrete that people could do,” she said.

Concrete, she said, and positive.

“I think one fear people have is in regards to taking sides,” she said. “And this is something you can do without taking sides. It’s forward-looking. It’s not denigrating the other person. It’s not blaming anyone. It’s just practical support.”

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A gift is an object which is given freely without expecting anything from the nearest and dearest on a particular occasion as a token of expressing their gratitude, love, and friendship. Gifts will be remembered for a long time or a lifetime. Some of the common occasions are Birthday, Marriage, Anniversaries, Festivals, Personal Celebrations ...
Essay on My Best Gift
500 Words Essay on My Best Gift Introduction. Gifts are a universal way to express emotions such as love, appreciation, and gratitude. Throughout our lives, we receive various gifts, but some hold a special place in our hearts. The best gift I ever received was not wrapped in shiny paper or tied with a colorful ribbon, but was a profound life ...
Everyday is a Gift: [Essay Example], 698 words GradesFixer
Everyday is a Gift. Life is a precious and fragile gift that we often take for granted in the hustle and bustle of our daily routines. It is easy to get caught up in the challenges and stresses of life, but it is essential to remember that each day we wake up is a gift. This essay explores the profound idea that "everyday is a gift" and delves ...
Subtle distinctions " : Emerson's " Gifts
In my paper, I reread Emerson's "Gifts" (1844), an essay usually placed in the background of the twentieth-century gift theory canon (Schrift 1997, Ostin 2002).The essay contains a dazzling yet controversial vision of the gift. Emerson presents us
The Gift (essay)
The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies ( French: Essai sur le don: forme et raison de l'échange dans les sociétés archaïques) is a 1925 essay by the French sociologist Marcel Mauss that is the foundation of social theories of reciprocity and gift exchange .
Marcel Mauss, MAUSS and Maussology: The productive reception of the
Alain Caillé, the founder of the Mouvement du MAUSS, presents an influential interpretation of Marcel Mauss's classic Essay on the Gift as a foundational text of and for an anti-utilitarian theory of action. This article returns to Mauss's seminal essay and presents the paradigm of the gift by resituating the MAUSSian reading within the French field of Maussology. While the article is ...
Gifts: an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson disputes the idea that giving and receiving gifts is a child's play. He initiates this essay in a theatrical and belligerent style. He orates that the world is facing liquidation of finding resolution to the difficulty of the choice of gifts on occasions like Christmas, New Year, etc.
THE JOY OF GIVING: The more you give of yourself ...
You'll find that the more you give, the more you'll receive. The power of giving is manifested in the kindness and generosity that you bestow on someone else. When you give to another unselfishly, the vibrational energy emitting from your subconscious is at its strongest. The power of giving, according to neuroscience, is that it feels good.
The Gift of the Magi Essay: Summary & Analysis
The Gift of the Magi is one of his masterpieces, which has become a traditional Christmas tale. In this story, the author shows genuine love between young spouses, which is more precious than any material possessions. In this essay, the plot will be summarized, the main themes and characters will be discussed, and personal opinions will be given.
Essay on My Birthday Gift
500 Words Essay on My Birthday Gift Introduction: The Anticipation. Birthdays are often associated with joy, celebration, and a sense of growing older and wiser. But beyond the cake and the candles, there's always that one thing that makes the day even more special - the birthday gift. This year, my birthday gift was not just an object, but ...
Encouragement and Serving: The Spiritual Gifts Essay
According to the test from www.gifttest.org my dominant gifts are the encourager and the server. The website states that these two aspects characterize the ability to drive the process and motivate people. The main motivational drive of a server is to show love by addressing practical requirements. A server is conscientious and ready to put in ...
Essay on Life is a Gift [200, 500 Words] With PDF
Essay on Life is a Gift in 500 words. A gift is regarded as special, valuable, and mysterious. Life is the most precious gift that our parents have given us. It is a delightful journey packed with adventures containing unknown and unanticipated elements. It has the tremendous potential to provide us with love, happiness, and a sense of meaning.
The Gift Of The Magi: [Essay Example], 551 words GradesFixer
Published: Nov 26, 2019. The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O. Henry is a story about a wife and her husband buying Christmas gifts for each other with just a little money that they have. I greatly admire the character, Della. Della is a very devoted housewife and Della has given Jim everything she has.
Unexpected Gift
This year, though, something unusual happened like an elephant eating a crocodile. My mom actually told me how much she wanted me to spend on her gift! "$50 this year," she shouted from the kitchen. "$50 should be OK," I sighed reluctantly, "including tax.". "K," she replied with a smile. We went to Markville Mall.
The Gift: An essay
A gift manifests the relation between two people. . Gift wrapping wraps us together, as one who gives and one who receives. I find it hard to receive presents. Some presents come with an extra layer of wrapping: now you are what this present has made you. I become what the gift conveys, I become the recipient of this particular present.
Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend
People give presents on different special occasions, like anniversaries or birthdays, in order to show their affection. They usually buy gifts based on the receiver, or give them red packets of lucky money so they can celebrate and buy something themselves. Besides that, people also exchange gifts on special holidays like Christmas or New Year. 2.
Gift Giving: The Art or Science? Essay (Literature Review)
Gift giving is a spontaneous act that is sometimes defined by dates, for example, when a couple gives anniversary gifts. The author does not clearly bring out the consumer behavior aspect of this act. It is also crucial to note that there is virtually no any relationship between gift giving and other consumer behavior theories (Sherry, 159).
Descriptive essay on Unexpected gift
It is a perfect thing. It is a source of happiness. An unexpected gift comes from the heart. It is given with love and joy. It is provided without any expectation. An incredible gift brings a smile to the face. It gives happiness to the heart. It is a perfect thing. A person who gets an unexpected gift feels happy.
Essay on Gifts
Essay on Gifts for the students of Matric, FA, FSC, 2nd Year, Intermediate, BA and BSC. Here is an essay on gifts for the students of Class 10, Class 12, Graduation and other classes. Gifts his essay will discuss different things about Gifts. Gifts are very important in our daily life. There are 2 types of gifts, good gifts and bad gifts.
6 Thoughtful Ways to Gift Your Writing
1. Write/Say What You Want. Before going any further, we have to address an important issue: writing for family can be tough. Some of us might use writing as a form of escape from family. If that's true, perhaps gifting your writing will work best for distant relatives or close friends, rather than family members.
Essay on "An unexpected gift" for Students and Children, Best Essay
Essay on "An unexpected gift" for Students and Children, Best Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in English Language.
Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points
Dr. Chan is a molecular biologist at the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, and a co-author of "Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19." This article has been updated to reflect news ...
R.E.S.T.—A Guided Practice for the Tired and Weary
R.E.S.T. is neither a form of sleep therapy, nor a call for us to take more naps—which can easily become an escape from reality. Instead, it is an invitation for all people to rediscover belonging and awareness in "just being.". In this practice, our natural state of restfulness is our starting and finishing point.
What My Dog Taught Me About Mortality
She went down into the hole. Into this yawning vortex of doom. She dove into an alternate world: the secret infinite maze of the inside of our very old house. Now, Mango was a fat little golden ...
Opinion
Guest Essay. Trump's Most Dangerous Gift. June 8, 2024. Credit... Damon Winter/The New York Times. Share full article. 559. By Brenda Wineapple. Ms. Wineapple is a historian and author. Her ...
My son's dream trip to the Goodwood Revival
True gift. I realized we hadn't even made it to the vintage fairground, with its carousel and dodgems (bumper cars). A few years back, Owen might have grown bored of the racing and asked for a spin or two on the carousel. I got misty-eyed as we trudged by it. Maybe it was the scenic twilight or my probable sunstroke from the day or a ...
Gift registries after divorce offer a new way to support loved ones
Many retail registries can be set up for a multitude of purposes, including divorce. Fresh Starts uses Amazon. It suggests bundles of items ranging from $99 to $500. Among the bedroom, kitchen, home office and bathroom essentials are a shower curtain, a can opener, a bedside clock, a humidifier.