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Chapter 16

ACCEPTING A GIFT YOU LIKE

Big checks

The right gift cards

Clothes you really like

CDs by bands you like

Video games you want

If you are lucky, and we bet you are, you have someone in your life who gives really cool presents. It might be an uncle or a godmother or a grandfather or a family friend who always gets it right. Maybe she or he gives presents like the ones listed above. If you have a person like this in your life, count your blessings. It is always exciting to open a package from someone who puts a lot of thought into gifts. Try to learn a lesson from this person, so that, when you are giving gifts, you can give the most thoughtful gifts possible. And, yes, it is cool to love a gift. But there are a few things to keep in mind even when accepting a gift you really, really like.

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YOU DO

Say, “Thank you,” to the gift giver, as soon as you open the present.

YOU DON’T

Start raving about how much you love this gift—especially if somebody else in the room has given a gift you didn’t like as much.

Why

It is Okay to love a gift, but is not Okay to compare one gift with another, especially if both gift givers are sitting there in front of you. If you start comparing gifts, somebody’s feelings are bound to get hurt. When you write your thank-you note (and you will write a thank-you note, of course), you can let the gift giver know how much you really like the gift. The thank-you note is like a private conversation between you and the person you are sending it to. Nobody else will know what you have said, and nobody’s feelings will be bruised.

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At his birthday, or at the holidays, a gentleman does not make a scene if he does not receive every gift he has asked for.

A gentleman does not brag about the expensive gifts he has received. He knows that different families live on different budgets and have different traditions.