I have found that there are two types of people in the world, those who are good with presents and those who aren’t. And I don’t mean receiving them – because, seriously, who’s bad at that?
I used to be good at presents. You could almost go as far as to say I was extremely thoughtful, and smug, because I even preferred giving presents rather than receiving them.
I’m not that person anymore and it really is a shame. Frankly, since moving away from Australia to the UAE I have become a present-giving disaster. I used to thoroughly enjoy seeking out the perfect gift for a friend or family member, putting in weeks or even months of thought and preparation.
I have yet to discover the reason why I have suddenly changed into a very slack gift-giver. Am I lacking motivation for shopping? Surely this can’t be the case?
With the festive season currently upon us, I high-tailed it to Marina Mall to find my husband a gift. I had my credit card and many good intentions. And yet somehow I ended up in a fitting room at Mango. What a crafty and original place to find a present for a man, you say? Well, yes. Yes, it was, thanks for noticing. It’s good to look outside the box and buy something really original for the man in your life. Like a leopard print dress from Mango! He might not be able to wear it but, gee, he’s going to get heaps of joy from seeing me in it, am I right?
Then there is the whole wrapping scenario. I used to envisage the perfect wrapping paper and ribbon themes in my head. I could have devoted entire weekends to shopping for the perfect paper, ribbon and card combinations. These days, not so much.
I am embarrassed to admit that I recently wrapped my niece’s fourth birthday present in aluminum foil. Classy. I hope she thought it was inventive and super-creative. More likely she received it and asked, ‘Why has Aunty Ange turned weird since she moved to Abu Dhabi?’. We had a little chat on the phone for her birthday and I cleverly remembered to ask her if she liked her ‘special space wrapping paper’. There was silence on the other end. She wasn’t convinced, and neither was I.
I feel like I am on slippery slope and my biggest fear is that I will turn into a re-gifter, which in my mind is sacrilege and completely unacceptable. My new plan of attack is to have a present drawer. I am striving to have a stash of useful, thoughtful and delightful gifts simply waiting for the appropriate recipient.
The more I think about it, the more I understand that present giving is an art. A talent, of sorts. It’s not about having the most money or even your level of generosity. It’s about time, thought and creativity and, currently, I seem to lack all of those things.
