Valentine’s Day choosing gifts…love or dread

Whether we want it or not, Feb. 14th is around the corner. In about a week, the much loved (or much hated) day to celebrate the spirit of love is bound to turn a few of us into obsessive lunatics, sweating at the mere thought of what to get the people we love. You might be in a committed relationship or just dating; either way there’s no way around giving a gift to someone you really care about. But constitutes as a good gift?
On one hand, you don’t want to insult your love interest with a frugal but thoughtful present. On the other hand, a gift purchased from a department store might be perceived as a.) impersonal, or b.) inappropriate or missing your love interest’s taste.

To give an example of an inappropriate gift, last year one of my best friends (let’s call him Sam-Who-Didn’t-Know-Any-Better) thought he’d take the girl of his dreams out to dinner. Dinner sounds great, right? You get to avoid cooking and have others do the washing up for you. But there’s a lot that speaks against restaurants if you don’t know your love interest well enough. In fact, there’s so much speaking against it you can probably hear the alarm bells ringing from across the street.
So, Sam-Who-Didn’t-Know-Any-Better booked a nice Chinese restaurant without knowing his love interest was a vegan. After a half hour of trying to find something on the menu that contained no milk, eggs, cheese, meat, you get the drift, they decided on Monks’ Vegetables. I’ve heard it tasted awesome. About ten minutes into desert Sam-Who-Didn’t-Know-Any-Better’s lover interest had a nasty reaction to cornstarch and an ambulance had to be called. Unfortunately, she never returned his calls.
This year, Sam-Who-Didn’t-Know-Any-Better will get his new love interest roses, a box of pralines and a card.

IMO, gift giving is a bit tricky. You need to consider where you stand with your date and incorporate your knowledge about them into your decision. Flowers, chocolates, a poem, and cards are safe bets. Something homemade, like a chocolate cake, is also a good choice. I’d definitely stay away from gift cards, jewelry (and in particular rings, unless you’re a couple and about to propose), and clothes (and by that I’m talking about what you’re wearing underneath, unless you know they won’t find it creepy and/or inappropriate.)
But whatever gift you choose, remember, it’s the thought that counts. If you give it away with a smile on your face, it’s bound to make someone’s day, or at least make them laugh. And isn’t feeling happy and maybe even a bit silly what love’s all about?

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!