A procrastinator, I'm not inclined
to finish my Christmas shopping by
late July. Nor have I ever run with
the bulls to grab 5 a.m. door busters
on Black Friday. Rather I approach
this season of giving in a much more
strategic manner. First I ponder, then
reflect, then finalize my gift strategy.
All of which means that I delay the
start of my holiday shopping until
December. However sales or deals
are not my last minute motivation.
I simply hate the gift giving process.
While I try to keep gifts personal,
the bulk of my buddies are of a
similar ilk. Therefore my strategy
is to gift en masse. After all few
reside in the same city let alone
the same state. Thus the odds that
one will discover that another has
received the same token of esteem
is slim at best. Therefore the santa
gives and gives alike. It's EASY.
I adore gift registries. As a adult it's
tough to keep up on the latest toys.
Given my loved ones live far away,
having my finger on the pulse can be
tough. Fortunately my daughter "E"
goes on-line and selects whatever my
grand daughter "M" wants. All I do is
log on, fill my basket, and pay. Soon
they're loaded onto Santa's sleigh and
under the tree by Christmas Eve!
In today's world we live hither and
yon. It's no longer about traveling
over the river nor through woods.
Gathering family is as challenging
as herding cats. While we love the
other, getting together is not easy..
Therefore we pick, wrap, and ship
our presents. While there's nothing
I would rather do than personally
hand over your gift, chances are
I'll be sending it a few days prior.
In the end what's most important
is that you know that you're loved!
I'll be honest, having someone
else wrap and ship is convenient.
But it is a little impersonal. What
is most pleasurable for me is the
joy of selecting the perfect paper,
ribbon, and gift card just for you.
While I love a pretty wrapped gift,
I don't like the cutting, folding, or
taping part of the process. I guess
that in order to tie it all up into a
tidy package, I have to do things
I normally don't like to do. So if
you need me, I'll be all in a knot.
As the deadline draws near, so does
reality. Why wait at the post office
when trusted friends can ship gifts?
Rather than send a gift to someone
I love in wrapping I loathe, I keep it
simple with Barney's or Bergdorf's.
All they do is change their ribbon to
red for the holidays. Once I'm done
there is no greater gift than knowing
my gift list is ALL WRAPPED UP!
