It was late August of this past year and after all the hurdles of travelling during Covid with a child, the only thing I was looking forward to on my calendar was returning home and seeing my husband. He spotted Waliya and I at the airport exit terminal amidst the sea of frantic international travellers with their suitcases organized by colour-coded ribbons. Some were eagerly walking towards familiar family and friends without looking in any other direction. Others were tearful and flustered after getting through a maze of luggage and Covid screenings after what felt like hours without relief. As soon as he embraced us, every hardship from the travel disappeared.
We were driving home when I realized my husbands’ birthday was just a week ahead and although I’d done some shopping on my trip, no item was in the gift-worthy category. But believe me when I tell you, I should have picked something, anything from my suitcase instead of what I actually decided to gift him.
I spotted a pack of sunflower seeds in our pantry the next day as I was prepping a pantry dinner (the kind you make when you’re on your last stretch of groceries). His snacking habits are far less frequent and much healthier than mine so I picked up a pack for him earlier in the summer and he was hooked! Wherever we went, the sunflowers seeds came along. A genius idea came to mind when I saw him pouring the seeds into a plate one night and carrying along a mini-ramekin for the hulled shells.
I’ve always been one for practical gifts but I didn’t realize there was such a thing as too practical until I decided to order him a black melamine bowl with a curvy line down the middle, as a birthday gift.
“He’ll love this!” I thought to myself. “He’ll have a place for the sunflower seeds and the empty shells!” I placed the order and clicked the overnight shipping option to make up for the hours I spent making my soon-to-be-regretted-forever decision to get my husband a bowl for his birthday.
The package arrived in the same brown box everyone gets excited to see at their doorstep. I didn’t have time to package it properly out of excitement to see him open it and start using it right away. As soon as he saw it, he offered a quizzical smile and a confused chuckle with a restrained “thank you” and that’s when I realized it might have been better to get nothing instead. We laughed about it together and the bowl surprisingly made it onto his extremely minimal shelf with his key belongings.
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Gifting comes so naturally to some people.
It’s been a hit and miss for me over the years and after this bowl incident, I’m determined to be a little more prepared next time. Celebratory events always come at me out of left field. I know they’re up ahead but:
1. I’m terrible with dates and matching people to important dates would mean I would need to make an actual spreadsheet.
2. I always think I have more time than I do to go from knowing an event is on the horizon, deciding what to get, getting it, wrapping it, and packing or shipping it out in time.
My favourite way of gifting is one that makes me feel connected to the person such as making a care package for whichever season they are in. I like putting together collections of things that are (a little) practical, a few keepsakes, and partially handmade items like my watercolour art. I’ve loved receiving gifts like these over the years like the care package my cousin Anaam sent during a particularly tough winter two years ago.
Some gifts of course totally miss the mark… (you know the ones). They’re well-meaning but will likely find their way to the basement, in the bathroom, or in your donation bin for Goodwill when you plan to fling the overflowing bag into the container behind 7/11 and drive off as fast as possible.
🎉 Now for a little fun!
Look around your space for gifts you’ve received (or have gotten yourself) that have made you feel special, remembered, and known.
Leave a comment below sharing with us any of your answers…
Share a gift you’ve ever received that made you feel known.💝
What kinds of gifts do you enjoy giving? 🎁
What’s a gift you wish you hadn’t received? 😬
Another idea is to create a mini-album on your phone to collect gift ideas so you don’t have to scramble last minute when you need another gift.
Organize the list by groups such as kids, friends, husband, cousins, brothers, sisters, parents, and so on.
Here are some from around my space…
One of my favourite keepsakes is this beautiful hand-crafted drawer set for jewelry my sisters gifted me a couple of years ago. This one is from a company called Sundance. Anything handcrafted is extra meaningful.
The Oxford translation of the Qur’an by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem is always by my bedside and for good reason – it’s beautifully written and easy to understand.
My husband gifted me this Himalayan salt lamp and there’s something so calming about the glow it gives off in our loft. Great for friends and mothers.
A mini-reading light for the bookworm in your life
Cozy socks in any and all colours
A creative writing journal with fun prompts. I received this as a gift from my dear friend Fatimah, and it was such a thoughtful pick for someone like me.
A watercolour set, sketchbook, and set of nice coloured pencils for the art lovers
A Book Beu to carry books, tablets, or planners to keep them protected
365 Days Series for children. My daughter loves a story from this every night.
What else is new?
Well, happy 2022! May Allah (swa) help us to reach Ramadan, cultivate good habits, strengthen our Iman, and ease our tests. Ameen. My hope is to continue writing and sharing anecdotes from my life throughout 2022 and I’m so honoured you are here to read and join me on this journey!
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Until next time,
♡Asma