Everyday, I've learned a lesson. Lately, it's been about the art of giving gifts.
Getting gifts for mom can be a challenge. I've learned a lot over the years. Last year, I bought my mom what I sincerely believed was the best gift ever. I had just decided to become a more positive person and I wanted everyone to be as happy and positive as I felt, so I bought my mother some affirmation CDs, books and cards. Apparently, mom pretended like she adored it during dinner, but she ended it up giving it to my aunt. The year before that, I bought her a Sudhoku book. She also pretended to adore it, but ended up giving it away to my dad. Today, my dad's favorite hobby is Sudhoku.
I had my chance to redeem myself. This month was my mom's birthday. As I was browsing online, I landed on a store called DTS Lifestyle located at www.DTSlifestyle.com. By complete chance, I found one of my mom's favorite fragrances for women: 5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden Women Eau De Parfum Spray (Tester) 4.2 oz.
Seeing this perfume really brought me back to the past. I remember getting my mom Elizabeth Arden when I was a little girl. Everyone in my class got fragrances for women for their mom. So, I came to believe that perfume was a typical present. Every year during my childhood, I had gotten mom fragrances for women. And each time my mom received fragrances for women, she adored her gift. So, I decided to buy her fragrances for women to see what would happen.
Toward the end of dinner, it was just that time to open presents. My mom received an expensive purse from my dad. She got a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant from my sister. The moment came when she was about to open my present. I was a bit nervous from anticipation, since I had witnessed my mother's false sense of enthusiasm upon opening her previous gifts in the last few years. She tore open the gift wrap and delightfully discovered it was perfume. I could tell that my mother was genuinely ecstatic when she received fragrances for women.
I realized that trying to look outside of the box doesn't always make a gift recipient happy. Sometimes, it's all about finding a classic gift and sticking with it. The lesson learned is that sometimes the most obviously presents are the best option. In this case, it was fragrances for women.
