Gifts to Stay Close to Loved Ones during a Pandemic
With quarantine and social distancing becoming the everyday norm, staying and feeling close to your loved ones is starting to feel like an impossible reality. The good news is that now there are countless creative and effortless ways you can spread love to them. Gift giving can be a great way of bridging the never-felt-so-strongly-before gap, between you and your loved ones. Receiving a gift when you’ve just been FaceTime calling would be far more refreshing for the receiver and they will surely find your gesture thoughtful and endearing. Often as the giver themselves, you will feel a sense of positive gratification about the act too. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, in his novel ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ says “Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not the merits of who receives them”.
During birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, with gift shops and other non-essential outlets being closed, this is a perfect way to send love and good wishes. You don’t; always need a special occasion to create an opportunity for you to give gifts to your close ones. Self-isolation and other not-so-favorable life changes might have gotten the better of your loved ones’ mental and emotional health. It can feel debilitating to not be able to reach out and embrace those close to you, especially knowing they are going through particularly tough times. A little something that lets your family member or friend know that you have been thinking of them, better yet one that explicitly carries a note of love like a personalized gift, might help them feel supported and less lonely.
A personalized gift is far more special than the usual one, for it says something about the unique relationship you have with your close one and can make them feel more cared for. The extra effort you put into it when you choose exactly the right words to make them feel supported or when you select a picture of your favorite memory with them, it makes it a charming little expression of your love to them. A keyring with a personal message or a picture of you and your dearest together or a necklace with a pendant containing an engraved note of love for them, could lighten up their mood and invoke much needed hope during these overwhelming times. Best thing about it is that the process of personalized gift giving can be done at the comfort of your home in a safe manner without having to risk your health.
In the wake of the coronavirus (or COVID-19) pandemic, we are all looking for new ways to feel close and show gratitude to our family, friends and beloveds. Perhaps sharing gifts will help us do just that and still continue to cherish and celebrate our loved ones, despite the trying times.
