Why it's hard for people to give 'nothing' on Christmas
Buying a Christmas present for someone who has said they don't want one makes the gift-giving process more about the giver and less about the receiver.
Every year since I was a teenager, my mom has asked what I wanted for Christmas. It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I got the courage to answer honestly.
“I want nothing,” I’ve replied when she inquires, often before Halloween, because nothing is what I’ve wanted.
She will nod, I will nod, and a few weeks after this conversation, my Garfield cross-stitched stocking will be filled with a grocery store gift certificate, lip balm and chocolate.
Minimalism is only half the reason I want nothing. The other half is because “nothing” doesn’t force me to dig inside a stocking or unwrap a gift that reminds me how little the people in my life know me.
The gift certificate is appreciated because a boy’s gotta eat, but secretly I slip the lip balm to my brother Kevin — it almost always has beeswax, and I’ve been vegan for about 18 years.
Rating: 5