Take note of the wistful wishes that someone utters... You
may be able to turn them into the perfect favorite gifts!
Or solve a problem that’s bugging someone... Does she hate
to cook? - give her food for several meals, or easy recipes, or
a coupon for meals at your house, or a ton of frozen home-made
pesto, or a soup-of-the-month. (Wow, all things someone could
give me and be lauded for!)
Does he very much desire a CD player but can’t afford one?
- buy him one at a pawn shop or on eBay, or from your friend who
always has to have the absolute latest in audiovisual equipment.
Does she want to take a class but can’t get away from the
children that night? - give her a babysitting certificate.
Does he want to make rustic furniture but doesn’t have the
ingredients on his property? - invite him onto yours for those
great S-shaped little trees (that need to be culled anyway).
Give what you’re good at but they’re not… Has she
repeatedly expressed a wish to have a website like yours? - set
one up for her, with the offer to tweak it as desired. (Or if he’s
a self-starter - and even if you're not a webmaster - buy
him a hosting package that includes easy-to-set-up instructions
plus built-in business-boosting features: http://www.sitesell.com/granite.html.)
"Apple gifts" for the teacher are friendly
tokens... But what your teacher friend might really want
is a Halloween costume for next year, so she doesn’t have to
wrack her brain trying to come up with something to wear to
school on that day!
Many times what people really want is money, to be
saved toward a special goal... but everyone is conditioned to
send objects as gifts. If you don’t feel right without
doing that, send money and an object! - some little token
item that’s related to the goal. ...A travel toothbrush for
the trip to Europe. ...A coupon good for 8 hours’ wall
painting, for when your friend is ready to add on the new room.
...A throw-away camera for the 50th wedding
anniversary party she’s planning for her parents.
Or what he really wants might be something he really
needs...
