"Perfect" Gifts

Jennifer A

November 16, 2011 - 12:00 PM

When I opened up the fine student newspaper at UO's campus, a hidden extra was inside. A Holiday Gift Guide: Swag for significant others, parents and bromances. Buying gifts has been an issue for years. Finding the perfect present for your loved one can be daunting. But, why is that?

Yes, we are a capitalist society and yes, we place too much value on ‘things'. I refuse to believe that it is all about that though. I feel like it is about a loss of creativity with our relationships.

We are supposed to get our Dads a tie, Mom jewelry, brother clothes and boyfriend cologne. We become reliant on this recycling of gifts. We placed our loved ones gifts on monetary value and not thought level. Of course, having money spend on you is nice, but dollar signs should not necessarily equal care value. Instead of buying me clothes, why not surprise me with a sweet date? Or make me a scrapbook of all of our times together. The sweetest gift I ever received has zero street value but it is worth millions in sentimental value.

Last Christmas my boyfriend presented me a box that said "I Love You." Inside was a book with Peter and Jen on the leather cover. I opened it and all of our love letters were bound from the time we spent apart while he studied abroad in Germany. I was speechless and yes, did the girly happiness tear cry.

Buying presents for loved ones is difficult. You want them to know how much you love them. The best way to do that is not to follow a mass-produced guideline. Instead, you should just listen and observe.