The birthday present

Giving the right present is a gift. Some people just don't have that ability. Take my mom for example. She is always trying to give me something that she likes, instead of giving me something that I like. And when that kind of thing happens you just have to open a big smile and say "thank you mom", while you hold a weird leather bracelet in your hands.

I consider myself as a great giver. When I want to give someone a present, I like to research very deeply into that person’s taste and I think that is the most difficult part of it. People are often thinking of themselves when buying a present. I love books, but that doesn’t mean that my father is going to love getting the latest Harry Potter book (he won’t).

You just need to dig a little deeper. Writing a meaningful card is also very important, I think. However, it doesn't mean that you need to write a huge text, just write something that the person could like, maybe an inside joke and tell them why you like them. And trust me, sometimes the card is even better than the present itself (I am always more excited about the card than about the present).

Life is so hard sometimes that I think that nice gestures deserve recognition that it could be done with small presents, like chocolate, flowers, small messages or even 10 minutes of conversation without holding your cell phones in one hands (just leave it for a while. You can do it. I assure you). Nowadays we are exposed to so much information on television, the internet and books that we simply forget to ask how the other person is doing, or we are just too tired to wait for the answer. There is always something more interesting than having a truthful conversation with a real person sitting right in front of you.

Let me tell you something: there is nothing more enjoyable than spending time with someone that you like. It could be a good friend, your pet or even a book. That exchange of time between the two of you is the greatest gift of all.