The Bad Gift
Undoubtedly it happens every Christmas. It all starts out with a person happily receiving a present from a friend, a love, or a family member. Excitedly the pretty ribbon is cut and the paper is torn away from the package. Suddenly the receiver of the gift realizes what the gift actually is, and a look of genuine disappointment flows across their face.
Yes, it is the dreaded bad gift.
I would say that 99% of all gifts are good gifts. By definition, the act of giving to others is good. Still, there is that 1% of gifts that no matter how much thought is put into it, it is destined to be a bad gift. Personally, I’ve been on both ends of bad gift-giving.
When I was around eleven years old, one of my brothers decided to make presents for the entire family. Surely there is nothing wrong with homemade gifts, but it would be generous to say the gift was “homemade”. What he made and gave to everyone was a block of styrofoam, which he had stabbed numerous times with a pencil and slapped some red paint on. I remember everyone’s face as they asked, “What is it?” He replied, “A pencil holder.” Definately a bad gift.
I must admit that I’m guilty of being on the other end of bad gift-giving as well. I was out at the mall Christmas shopping for a girlfriend, when a thought came to mind as I approached one of the lingerie stores for women. I bought one of those sexy nighties that I was sure she would enjoy. How surprised I was on Christmas morning to see the disappointment in her eyes as she unwrapped the package. “This isn’t for me, it’s for you,” she said half jokingly and half seriously. Alas, my heart was in the right place, but I never thought of it in that way. In spite of my good intentions, it was definately a bad gift. Fortunately, I had bought her several other presents, so the sting of bad gift-giving wasn’t too bad for her or me.