Gifts for Those Who Have it All
A frustrating part of Christmas for me is gift shopping. A bit of a perfectionist, I spend hours looking for the perfect gift for everyone. With my kids it’s easy. I listen to them and 
figure out little clues as to what they want. But for relatives who live far away, the hunt is difficult.
You’re checking your list and come up with Rich Uncle Harry and Grandma Lil. They don’t really need anything and if they did, they’d buy it for themselves. They have special diets, so a box or candy won’t do. You don’t know if they even wear jewelry, so that’s out. A gift card sounds easy, but to what store and that seems so impersonal. And it’s about as much fun receiving these gifts as giving them. So I went to the Internet to search for some ideas.
I discovered cool gadgets that can melt the ice in key locks, locate WiFi hotspots, or wirelessly charge a cell phone. I also learned about how to create personalized photo books, where to buy authentic movie memorabilia, and how to order a gourmet dinner. If you are familiar with what your recipient is interested in, there are some great websites that offer a lot of help. They have databases of ideas. You enter things like gender, age, hobbies, etc and it comes back with tons of ideas. Some of these sites are:
If your recipient is adamant about not wanting anything, you might think about doing something like naming a star or a tree after them. Or you might make a donation to a charity in their name. Libraries are always looking for good material. You can donate a book and have it dedicated to the recipient. Do they love the theater? You can have a theater seat named after them.
My favorite: Think experience. Even if you have it all, you still enjoy getting out and doing things. In fact those who are retired are often lonely so would greatly enjoy getting out especially with family. Bring them to the theater, a concert, a museum, a plane ride. In her final years, my mother would jump at the chance to even go to the grocery store with me. If money is an issue for you, offer to do some chores or even take them on a trip to the park.
Gifts don’t have to be huge or fancy or even expensive. A gift of an experience is priceless!
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