Happy Gifts
When I met my Fiancé, he used to buy these little things for me and call them “happy gifts”. At first, I didn’t really know how to react because when someone gives you a gift, most people feel like they should return the favor or the kindness in some capacity. The gifts typically would be something small like, a key chain or my favorite candy and each time I felt like I had to do something, anything in return.
“Had a random act of kindness and love really turned into I owe you out of my own accord?”
I don’t know why it’s a reaction out of so many because I know I’m not the only one. Just to say thank you can be hard when people do nice things. Maybe not as a child but as you get older, there is that immediate thought of
“What will this mean later on… do I now have to pay you back in some horrible circumstance where I put my job on the line or have to donate 10 dollars when I can’t afford it because you will be sure to remind me of this moment where you gave me a starburst?”
After a bit of time, I started to get used to these happy gifts and I would try as hard as I could to just say thank you and keeping going about my life because it was coming from my fiancé and I knew he did what he did out of love. Glad I did, because it quickly turned into a new perspective.
I would see things in the store or I would make something and give it to my fiancé. But it wasn’t because he was giving me these happy gifts, it was because I wanted him to feel special. For those of you who are reading this and saying that I ended up just giving him something in return so how was it special? I will tell you. It wasn’t about what he gave me, or if he gave me anything. It was about going about my day and thinking, I want to make him his favorite dinner today, for no reason. Or I feel like making pottery (which I did once in elementary school and it didn’t work out so great) and I would give him my creation as a gift. It’s the gift out of kindness that changed it when I understood the true meaning behind it all. LOVE!
Once I started doing this, I would try to give to others in the same manner. Maybe it was a coupon for Chuckie cheese for my friends with young enough children, or some store bought cupcakes because who doesn’t love sweets (good or bad for you, we all love it!) I started to do it because I wanted to, and I found myself excited to give others. Funniest part of all, I found that I could say thank you much more easily. Because I knew I had and do try to help and give others already so there was no need to do something down the line I didn’t want to do. I could still say No when I needed to while also being truly thankful.
Today, a little girl in my life (Part of my family), who I love… gave me a coke Zero with my name on it. She saw it and thought of me. I may not be her mother but she sure made me feel special like I am someone very important in her life and I had a moment where I thought, I need to tell everyone because if everyone could have this feeling, the world would actually be a happier place. For about 5 mins… Then back to chaos!
