Last year my brother asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him that I'd like to meet him somewhere for coffee or whatever and for him to ask me three questions.
His first question was about my spousal unit and led to a discussion of our relationship. His second question was "What did you learn this year?"
His third question was "Where do you find peace in the heart?"
If you do not want more stuff, then interesting questions, close attention to the answers, and thoughtful responses can also be wonderful gifts.
One of my best birthdays was when my daughter and I both happened to be in New York at the same time. She planned a "day" for me there as my birthday gift, though it was about a month after the actual date of the usual celebration. She researched good places for coffee, bookstores and literary sites for us to visit in Greenwich village. Then she planned a visit through Brooklyn, including the Brooklyn Museum. Finally, we ended up at a free public event showing huge World Press Photos of the Arab Spring projected under the arches of the Manhattan Bridge (DUMBO). For someone like me, who does so much planning, it was wonderful to let go and have someone else plan a day with me in mind. And of course, time with my daughter is the gift that is most dear of all to me. I was very touched by her thoughtfulness. --- Adrienne Drobnies
ReplyDeletemy best birthday present was simple. I have never enjoyed the idea of celebrating my birth, and knowing this, my friend took me out to dinner (a certain Chinese buffet that rhymes with schmandarin). There we sat, eating and laughing.
ReplyDeleteIt was while I was watching people with plates piled high with crab legs that I realized what the real gift was... I was spending time with someone I loved and who loved me. I had been gifted with a BFF