Gift giving builds empathy

We love gift-giving at our house;

Christmas, birthdays, Valentine’s day, Mother’s day or Father’s day, there never seems to be a season that we aren’t shopping.

Yesterday was Karina’s birthday, and only 16 days after Christmas it can prove to be quite a challenge for coming up with original gift ideas. 

It forces the girls and I to pay attention to the type of things she is interested in, discuss ideas about things that she would love, and then try to surprise her.

Sometimes the gifts are winners, and sometimes less so. 

Either way, we pay attention to her, learn a little more about her, then take a chance on a gift.

It is an effort, and it is worth it, and it is why I push back against people who scoff at gifting.

Build your empathy by giving a gift to someone you care about.

Whether for an event or ‘just because’, it shows you care.

• That’s a peak ethos.

Em·pa·thy: ‘the ability to understand and share the feelings of another’.