With Valentine’s Day here again, a conversation I was having last night with friends turned to the subject of gifts. I mentioned how my late Mum would always prepare my favourite dessert, lemon parfait, for my birthday visit to her house.
My friends cited some similar examples, including a couple with a twist. One friend told me that his own mum had always given him a packet of Minties every year. It was a lovely gesture, and my friend doesn’t mind a Mintie, but somehow his mum had gotten it into her head that they were his absolute favourites, and made sure they were always part of his birthday. In truth, they weren’t even close to being his favourites, but he never had the heart to tell his mum how far off the track she was.
Another friend recounted a similar story. She is a chocolate fiend, and a close relative gave her a ‘Terry’s Chocolate Orange’ one birthday. My friend politely feigned joy at receiving this gift.
Perhaps too much joy, because every birthday and Christmas since the close relative has given her a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Sadly, though, my friend is very particular about the brand and flavour of chocolate she likes, and Terry’s pretty much comes at the bottom of her list. Again, though, just like my ‘Minties’ friend, she felt she couldn’t reveal her true feelings.
And so the Terry’s Chocolate Oranges keep coming.
These two stories made me wonder how often such gift misunderstandings occur. Have you been the ‘victim’ of showing too much delight on receiving a gift you really didn’t care for? Do you think we need to be a bit more brutally honest when we receive a present we don’t like? Or are these sorts of things best left unsaid?
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