The Gift Of Gift-Giving

Our hygienists, Denise and Carolyn, sharing a hug after exchanging Secret Santa gifts at our Holiday Party this year.

WINTER MIGHT BE the coldest time of year in terms of weather, but it can also be the warmest in love and cheer thanks to that wonderful spirit of giving. Of course, we all love getting presents over the holidays, but there’s something extra special about seeing someone we care about open the presents we so carefully chose for them. That’s why our practice is taking a moment to look back on our favorite memories of gift-giving!

Our Team’s Favorite Christmas Gift-Giving Memories

Carolyn: "I once made a special Christmas ornament for a friend in New Jersey and sent it to her in the mail. This was in 2012. I saw her last month and she told me she still has it and hangs it on her tree every year! It took me about an hour to make, but it will last a lifetime."

Kala: "Every year creates such special memories for my family and I. I enjoy giving gifts to my family and seeing their reactions. I have been told that I am a good gift giver so shopping for gifts brings me joy and most of the time I cannot wait for the recipient to open their gifts. I love the holidays because they create so many special and memorable moments."

Sarah: "After a long day under the blazing sun, my adventure throughout the multiple worlds of Universal Studios had come to a close. I had an unforgettable time; thus, I wanted memorabilia for the day. I walked through the elaborate gift shop and nothing seemed appealing until I saw it. It was a golden time turner key chain, a replica of the one described in the world renowned novels of J.K Rowling. It would be for J.K Rowling’s number one fan–Bijuri Patel. I could not think of a better gift than one of bringing utter joy to Bijuri. As she removed the tissue paper to reveal the time turner, she practically hit the ceiling as she began to leap like a frog. The joy practically burst out of her as her metallic shrill pierced my ears. She embraced me tightly just to resume bouncing off the walls. Throughout the day I would see her walking and she would let out a small shrill. Fellow peers informed me that she would stand up in the front of the class to report that “the nicest person in the world” had bought her a gift from her most desired destination. To this day Bijuri thanks me for her gift, but it is really I who should be thanking her for giving me more than I already have."

Joanne: "One year at White Elephant gift exchange, one of the participants (who was known as being quite serious) brought a "Farting Animals" coloring book. It was hilarious, unexpected, and a hit. Each person was to take a page home and color it. What a great time!"

Sacha: "A few years ago, my brother and I chipped in and purchased a birthstone ring for our mom. It has the birthstones of my brother and myself along with her six grandchildren. I wrapped it in a giant box with a bunch of little boxes inside. Each box had something in from chocolates to floss until she reached the smallest box all the way at the bottom! This had built up the anticipation so when she saw her ring, she cried. It was very emotional."

Dr. Bush: "My best memory was when we bought a trampoline for my daughters. We sent them our with their older sister to get them out of the house to be able to assemble the trampoline. In the meantime, their sister's boyfriend and my husband put the trampoline together in the backyard. That night we had a Christmas party and told all our guests not to go to the backyard nor open the curtains. That night, when the girls were already sleeping, we went on the trampoline and enjoyed it for ourselves. We were surprised we did not awake the girls from our wails of laughter! When the girls woke up the next morning, Sarah turned around and could see the trampoline within the crack of the curtains. She ran outside to encounter the trampoline. It was extremely satisfying moment seeing their surprised faces and enjoying the trampoline. They jumped for hours!"

Looking For Fun Gift Exchange Ideas?

If you’re looking for a new gift-giving tradition to try out, take a look at a few of the ideas here. We’ve shared two of the ones we thought were unique!

• “Cookie-swap packing party. Besides cookies to swap at the party, guests bring extras, along with metal tins, takeout containers, plastic boxes, and packing materials. Together, you carefully box up the extra cookies to ship to out-of-town family and friends.”
• “Swap toys with Santa. Along with cookies and milk, leave (gently used) old toys under the tree on Christmas Eve for Santa to “take back to the North Pole.” (You can donate them to an organization like Toys for Tots or Goodwill.)”

If you’re trying to think of ways to teach your children the joys of giving gifts, check out this short video:

What Are Your Favorite Gift-Giving Memories?

We’d love to hear some of our patients’ best gift-giving stories, so share yours with us in the comments below or on Facebook. Whether they’re sweet or funny, we can’t wait to read your stories! We hope you make wonderful new gift-giving memories this holiday season!

Thank you for always being our valued patients and friends!

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The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.