Today is my sister’s birthday. Out of consideration for her and for me I’ll not divulge her age.
The question that presents itself is what does one give to one who lives in southern California in a scrumptious home only blocks from the beach and who travels the world over annually?
This query reminds me of a similar one that we grappled with as she and I and our two other sibs grew up and were faced with Father’s Day, pop’s birthday, and Christmas. What do we give our dad who had closets full of new suits and all of the accessories? What do we give a man who has a boat and a camper trailer which he rarely, if ever used? As I recall he hardly ever used them. I know that I never was included in using them. What do we give a man who drove a Chrysler New Yorker around in the cow pasture? In essence, what do we give a man who we felt had everything? Well, I never figured it out. I don’t know that my sisters did either. Now pop is gone.
I doubt that my sister, Nancy, ever thought that she’d place us in the same predicament that our pop had placed us. The predicament is compounded by the fact that she herself is quite thoughtful and creative in her own gift giving. Of course, travelling to umpteen different exotic locales might be of help in that regard.
Oh sure, we could give her a gift card to Red Lobster or The Outback Steakhouse or some such, whereas we didn’t have much of the wherewithal to do similarly for pop. Now that I think about it I don’t think they had gift cards then like they do now.
But a gift card is really just like giving money, only more limited in how you can spend it. Somehow money seems impersonal, not to mention easily quantifiable. The recipient might not know how much you spent on say that lava lamp, whereas it is quite obvious with a check or a gift card.
It might be helpful if Nancy would make a list for us. I find that people aren’t much into making lists, however, unless its for a wedding registry. Knowing Nancy she’d probably do like our mom- she’d just mention goofy stuff. Oh, I need a new potato masher or a fly swatter. Well, maybe a fly swatter is not a good example for Nancy. I don’t think they even have flies where she lives. I do know that every day is seemingly perfect there and, accordingly, I don’t think they have the pestilences that us ordinary people have in the rest of the country.
So what did I get my sister for her birthday? Well, the same thing I got her last year. An e-greeting and a phone call. I like making a birthday call to Nancy because I can procrastinate for an extra two hours inasmuch as I’m in CST and she is in PST. That is unless she’s travelling in some other part of the world and then I do voice mail.
June 12, 2008 at 8:29 am
There is not much inspiration initiated for comment—you covered a couple of generations/lifetimes in your lengthy commentary trying to explain away your reason for not sending any gifts (to anyone).
I hadn’t remembered Dad drove a New Yorker around in the field. That was funny.
Did Nancy have a good B-day? I’m sure not until she heard from you. I am going to start a new tradition and call on days not the person’s B-day. That’s the one day people are usually busy with those folks who actually Give Presents.