They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend…and that’s true for me…if the diamond comes in the form of a sparkly new diamond blade for my sliding compound miter saw!
The diamond, chocolate, and fancy card markets peak every holiday as men and women alike run out to buy their dearest ones something that says “I love you!” For birthdays, anniversaries, and even just to say “I screwed up…take me back”, the same old gifts are given…and received…in lackluster fashion.
Yet, what are we really saying?
To me, buying something as arbitrary as a box of chocolates is like saying, “I don’t have a clue what you like, so I’m getting you this generic gift.” I say, forget the chocolates. Forget the fancy jewelry with no real value. I want something I can use. Something I can look at and think, “Yep…he knows me SO well!”
I have a friend like that. She rarely comes to my house without bringing a gift. She’ll show up with a bag of plastic plates and bowls, because last time she was here she noticed I was low. Or she comes to my cabin and brings a spatula…because she didn’t know if I had one. She paid attention. She took note. And she showed up with something I could use…not a flower to stick in a vase, ‘cause she knows darn well I don’t own a vase and would scrunch my nose at a useless rose. That, my friends, is friendship.
Guys, you’ll get a lot further by saying, “I noticed you’ve been squinting when you read at night, so I picked you up these cute zebra striped reading glasses…see if they work.”
In that sentence you’ve said three things: I notice you. I care about you. I want you to be happy. And really, that’s all we’re looking for.
But you may have also said, “You are getting old…you need glasses…” so be careful on this one. You are walking a fine line.
Maybe I’m not the norm…but I imagine for the most part, women are all the same. I like a sparkly-pretty just as much as the next gal. But I’ll feel a whole lot more loved by the guy that knows me well enough to realize I’ll get more use out of a new tool belt than a ring that I’ll tuck away somewhere in a drawer.
From friends and lovers alike, I’d rather have a braided yarn necklace made from a rock we found together during a walk on our favorite shore, than something manufactured in a factory…no matter what the monetary value.
Then again, most of you are probably thinking, “Screw sentiment…I want diamonds!” Am I right?
