Photo Credit: Hailey Basner
Golf clubs for dad – $50.00
Engraved necklace for mom – $150.00
Getting presents for all of your friends – $75.00
Receiving nothing back – Priceless.
As selfish as it may sound, I am happy to admit that I did not buy presents for any of my friends this year. I realized this year that quality is truly more important than quantity, and although it should feel better to give than to receive, the past years have made me feel neglected. This is because as my friends received gifts for me, but I was given nothing in return.[vision_pullquote style=”1″ align=””] Regardless if you are willing to spend a large amount of money on the holidays or not, one thing is for sure: it is the thought that counts. [/vision_pullquote]
Although the holidays have not passed yet, I believe that my plan to only give presents to my only close friends will be foolproof. To me, the most enjoyable gifts are the thoughtful ones. I love receiving little presents, such as notes or even pictures. It turns out that the people around me are not thought-based, but rather, they are materialistic.
Recently, three of my peers and I had a Secret Santa exchange. The twist: we would all bake for each other. When it was time to exchange our baked goods, we all enjoyed asking about the process we went through to make the cookies/brownies/cake pops. After we took pictures with each other and shared laughs, I felt a tight-knit connection that I do not often feel with others.
To me, the holidays really are not about giving or taking. Rather, they are all about the connection one feels toward the other person and how they choose to show that. Perhaps you are the kind of person that would go across an entire city and buy an incredibly expensive present for your friend or significant other. Or, perhaps you are the kind of person that will print out 57 pictures and make a collage out of them, only to see your friend’s face light up at all of the thought you put into your work.
Regardless if you are willing to spend a large amount of money on the holidays or not, one thing is for sure: it is the thought that counts.
![Painting their pumpkins during FCCLA’s annual pumpkin painting meeting, juniors Aki Javier and Rizzael Maniego work alongside each other. The members were able to choose their own designs when decorating their pumpkins. “I wanted to win the best pumpkin [award],” Maniego said. “I tried painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and I feel that it turned out pretty good despite the short amount of time we were given.”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/club_preview_nov_11.jpg)
