Token Gifts for Christmas: The Gifts We Never Gift Wrap

Token Gifts for Christmas: The Gifts We Never Gift Wrap

There are some things that come at a very high price: personal loss; bereavement; divorce; financial hardship.  We can do nothing about many of the worries our friends and family are struggling to cope with this Christmas.  Or can we?

Psychological articles that teach us about pride tell us that paying our Grandmother’s heating bill is a kindness but it can also lead to her experiencing a loss of dignity and distress at having to resort to a ‘hand out’ to help her out of trouble.  Baby boomers with a genuine desire to help might also run into difficulties when trying to alleviate suffering for someone else.

There is a long list of opportunities for those discreet and silent gifts that are never gift wrapped and never mentioned before other people.  Paying the car insurance; fixing the roof; paying the school fees; helping to make home made gifts for a friend who cannot afford to buy any this year; driving an elderly friend to the shops so they can do their own shopping; baby sitting for a pal so she can spend a rare evening out on a Christmas treat with her husband.

These things are never gift wrapped yet always appreciated so much more than the standard box of chocolates or a bottle of perfume.  They might be unorthodox gifts but they are sometimes more appreciated as they produce that warmth of feeling we all love.  Baby boomers adore Christmas and being a social bunch, love the trappings of Christmas more than any other generation.  We invented the tackiest Christmas decorations ever!

For people who are having a hard time this year, the silent and unwrapped gift is the best option. Psychological articles observe that a favor or kindness to a friend can create positive emotions for both the giver and the receiver.  Taking a friend with financial problems out to lunch is thoughtful but not always appropriate – the friend might feel ‘compromised’ if they cannot reciprocate – but going on a forest hunt for pine cones to make a home made Christmas wreath will produce the same warm companionship and not embarrass anyone.  Especially if it is followed by a guilty sharing of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows!

It is always better to adopt some tact and diplomacy when dealing with elderly people who need help at this time of year.  Financial help is an especially touchy area and baby boomers feeling a cash gift is the only sensible option should be as casual as possible and do not make it a big production – the more fuss made, the worse the person will feel.

Try presenting cash gifts in a festive card – baby boomers are resourceful enough to know how to make a money gift acceptable for people who need the financial help more than another Christmas gadget.

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