The Art of Gift Giving
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On my list of “Most Romantic Gifts, Ever” the top contender is a small bunch of peach-colored roses, still in their convenience-store plastic sleeve.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly a cheap date – I enjoy luxe goodies as much as the next girl. But this little bunch of flowers had me weak in the knees; not for their value, but for the thought behind this particular bouquet. The roses, a gift from a visiting Italian, were presented to me on the third day of a week-long visit from this fellow. We had met at a friend’s party the year before, and had chatted only briefly.
The following year, Carlo found himself on his way to California and asked if he could see me. I was interested, but I wasn’t sure how much. He wined and dined me on those first two days, and I chalked up his avid attention to generic Italian-male behavior. That is, until day three and the aforementioned posies.
We met before dinner that evening and he presented me with the roses. As we sat sipping our wine, I had a sudden realization -“These roses are the same color as the one I was wearing in my hair when we met”. Carlo looked me right in the eye and said simply, “I know”. And with that, the lightning bolt struck. From that moment, I was totally gaga, a mushy, smitten puddle of goo. This simple act told me that this man had noticed me, really noticed me, and a year later still held our first meeting clearly in his mind.
And that, dear reader, is the first crucial step in the art of gift giving. A good gift tells the recipient that you know them. The ideal present is anything but generic; it reflects the true tastes and interests of the giftee. And in order to find that gift, all you need to do is pay attention. That, or do some expert sleuthing…
To be continued
