Getting Personal

                There's no time like the present for gift buying
            
                ...After all, 364 days is a long time to wait to let someone know how you feel about them!
            
                Dads might wait with bated breath for that longed-for occasion that comes all too infrequently on the third Sunday of June, but why should they have to? Sure, Father's Day is a great occasion on which to lavish praise, adoration and Gifts on our dads and to get the family together. But if we're expressing such a deeply held sentiment of love and gratitude (and let's assume that we are), why do we see it as a once-a-year event? GettingPersonal.co.uk investigates …

Perhaps we've become conditioned to restrict our gift buying to such social events as Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. This would explain why it's such a pleasant surprise when somebody turns up with a present right out of the blue. And when it happens, the first thing we think is “Why?” We start to scour our brains for reasons why someone would gift us without having a good reason. We might even suspect them of betraying a guilty conscience or preparing to ask for a huge favour. But these feelings can take away the magic of an unexpected treat. Maybe they just like you! Get used to it!

Perhaps it might seem a little less weird if we turn the tables. Think of someone you care for, be it a parent, a sibling, a lover or a friend. Then imagine you're out shopping and you see something that instantly makes you think of them. Something that isn't necessarily expensive but that you just know they would love and that would really make their day. Then you remember that it was their birthday a fortnight ago. What do you do?

If you make a mental note to come back in fifty weeks, it's probably fair to say that you're not a spur of the moment type of person. After all, the would-be recipient will never find out about your moment of thoughtfulness, will they? They can't possibly be disappointed. And what a surprise they'll have next birthday!

Alternatively, you might be the sort of person whose hand goes instinctively into the pocket and who then makes a beeline for the recipient's home, gleaming with excitement. You're a spontaneous person who gets a kick out of lighting up someone's life. And why? Because you care for them and want to!

So as you can see, it's not just the recipient who gets cheered up by the Gifts from nowhere. The giver too is filled with a sense of warmth and happiness, and the collective cheer far outweighs the cost of the gift itself. The knowledge that someone was thinking about you when they were going about their own busy life is a wonderful thing. And it sure is infectious!

No doubt you've already started to think of a special person in your life who deserves a little gift out of season. It might be to repay a favour or it might simply be because you don't feel like you tell them often enough how you feel about them.

Once you've decided to gift someone, have a look at the categories at the top of every page of GettingPersonal.co.uk. If the recipient is a man, have a look under “Father's Day Gifts” or “Gifts for him”. Obviously some of the Gifts can be ruled out as they are specifically designed as birthday or Father's Day Gifts. But most of them are simply things that men like and will be appreciated all year round.

After all, 364 days is a long time to wait to let someone know how you feel about them!