What makes a good gift?

We went around the office this week and asked everyone to recall a great gift they once received. Before we share, we’d like you to take a second to think back to a gift that meant a lot to you...

Was it something that linked back to fond memories? Something that gave you a memorable experience? Those are some of the links we were able to make throughout all the answers we received. It seems it didn’t quite matter whether the gift was material or experiential, whether it was big or small, lavish and expensive or super affordable, it was the sentiment behind it, and the memories created with it.

Let’s kick off with Violeta, our Director of Sales and Marketing. Her most fond gift, she told us, was her grandmother’s wedding ring. For many, many years her grandma told her “this ring is yours” but it wasn’t until she passed away that she got to put the ring on her own hand. “It wasn’t about getting a gold ring at all” she says, “it was about holding my grandma close to me and being able to look at my hand and remember her.” She added that her three daughters now all have a ring they know will be theirs one day, including that very one.

Tina, our Commercial Sales Expert, recalled getting a bicycle when she was seven years old. She remembers it fondly because she only rode it when she visited her grandparents on the countryside, which is where she kept the bike. Growing up in the city of Buenos Aires, she couldn’t ride it safely at such a young age. So for her, it wasn’t just about the bicycle, it was about the fact that it brought her a unique experience in a special place. To this day, riding her bike with her grandparents is one of her “most precious memories from childhood.”

Marcelo, the Doctor in Charge, has quite a silly story. He remembers being five years old and getting a little teepee for his room. He not only remembers getting it, immediately building it, and playing in it all day, but he also remembers falling asleep in it. His family, though, didn’t know where Marcelo had gone! “They spent a few hours just looking for me and calling my name on the streets thinking maybe I’d run away while I was totally unaware and just in a deep slumber.” Now it’s a story they look back on and laugh at, but Marcelo still remembers the enthusiasm and joy to the literal point of exhaustion. To this day, he doesn’t think he’s ever been that excited about any gift.

Ever gotten a gift that’s essentially changed your worldview? Rolando, our CEO, does. He, too, was quite young… about five or six. He was sick in bed, but his spirits were lifted because someone told him his grandmother was going to stop in to bring him a globe where he would be able to see the whole world. He was ecstatic… “The whole world? Even grandmas house!?” he asked. He thought it was out-of-this world -- just magical. Though he was slightly disappointed to see what a globe really was, he was still mesmerized by the idea of being able to see the entire planet and spent many hours thereafter studying it and imagining what was happening in all different parts of the globe. Plus, the anticipation of the gift alone helped him feel better when he was sick.

Rodolfo, our strategic advisor, tells us the best gift he ever got was a book. Though it ended up being much more than that. It was a book which outlined the best strategies for putting kids to bed called “Duérmete Niño” which he says “worked wonderfully with my kids and made them great independent sleepers,” leaving more room for him to create warm memories with his kids during waking hours, and not have to dread the bedtime ritual, which can be so taxing otherwise!

Our Social Media Coordinator, Emilia, remembers getting a pasta machine for a birthday a few years back. To this day, it still brings her and her family and friends together. She’s always loved cooking but making fresh pasta is “on another level because it’s such a special thing to make for someone and everyone loves it!” she says. Yes the gift was awesome and it helps her make great food, but the most important part is sitting around a hot bowl of homemade linguini to enjoy with people she loves -- some of those pasta nights are the best memories she’s made since she got it.

And then, there are also times when you really just need something. For Aileen, our Operations Manager, that something was a massage. When her friend gave her a gift card to a massage parlor, she felt both truly looked-after and excited. Though this experience was a one-time deal, it wasn’t about getting a massage necessarily, “it was about the feeling of being cared for and the memory of an aptly timed, relaxing massage.” Weirdly enough, the holidays can be stressful, so why not ensure people are giving themselves the time to do some self-care?

When thinking about gift-giving, don’t just blindly buy someone material things. Think about the way they will look back at the day when they got it. Consider the memories they will make with their gift. Then you’ll know if it’s a truly special gift.