There are many occasions in life when we are forced to deal with people that we may not get along with all that well, and every now and then, we may be forced into a display of acceptance toward them that goes well beyond where we might like it to be. This is all part of being a member of modern society, and accepting, and respecting each other becomes all the more important when we are presented with one of these occasions. So if at your next company Christmas party you draw the name of the one person in the office who literally makes your skin crawl, handle it with grace, and with honor. Treat them as you would want to be treated if the circumstances were reversed.
I will never forget the look on my friends face, when at a social group function, she opened her Secret Santa gift to find a plain bar of soap within the wrappings. She tried to accept the gift with humor, and grace, but it was easy to see that she was very hurt by the gift. We were members of a private club and we had been instructed to purchase a gift for around twenty dollars for the person who's name we drew. My friends gift was an obvious snub, and as our eyes met, I knew exactly how upset she was made to feel by that uncaring personal gesture.
My friend had recently joined the club and I couldn't help but think of how excited she had been earlier when she selected the perfect gift for the name that she had drawn. Now her eyes just looked so hurt. Her personality may have been a little different from others, but she was also raised in a very different background from most people, and she certainly did not deserve to be treated in such a demeaning manner. This was an unkindness that my friend would never have considered passing along to anyone and it was terrible that someone could snub her in this manner. Just because you do not particularly care for someone, that is not a good enough reason to direct rudeness in their direction, others should always be treated just as you would want them to treat you.
If you do not know much about the person that you are elected to purchase a gift for, then there are a number of universal gifts that are available, and these are items that are almost always received with excitement. Give a trinket, jewelery, or crafted wooden box with a small surprise within it. You can place lottery tickets within the box, a good luck charm, specialty chocolates, a small bottle of ice wine or fine whiskey, or any other item that you think might be well received by the person that you are buying for. Your gift could be a delicate crystal candy dish filled with mints, or a large fruit bowl with fruit and nuts. These gifts are delightful to receive.
You might choose a portfolio, and fill it with a variety of themed stationary paper, or a selection of high quality pens and pencils.Or you could wrap up a selection of crossword, sudoku, and word search puzzle books, and include themed pencils, erasers, and bookmarks in the package.
For a gift that relaxes choose an aromatherapy sampler as it generally comes with a variety of scents, or give a spa basket, which provides all the makings for an "at home" spa experience. These gifts are great whether you are purchasing for a man or a woman. We all like to be pampered.
Gift cards to a local department store are great because the person is then able to choose exactly what it is that they would like. Gifts of entertainment such as movie, concert, or theater tickets are also a nice treat. And a gift certificate to a local restaurant is guaranteed to be appreciated as there is just nothing more relaxing than having a meal at a nice restaurant after a hectic day at work.
If you know a little something about the persons likes, or dislikes, then use this knowledge to your benefit. If you know that this person loves chocolate, then purchase a selection of chocolate treats, or chocolate scented gift items for them. If they regularly do crossword puzzles then compiling a gift package of an assorted variety of crossword books, pencils and erasers makes for a very thoughtful gift. If you know that they have a soft spot for cats and kittens then you might want to theme your gift along those lines, and purchase items decorated in playful kittens, or humorous cat poses. If you know that the person that you must buy a gift for prefers tea over coffee, then a gift basket of flavored or herbal teas, mints, and biscuits is a wonderful gesture. If they prefer coffee then fill your gift basket with a selection of cookies, biscuits, chocolates and flavored coffees.Theme your gift around their likes and you will know that you have selected a thoughtful gift that is guaranteed to please them. Seeing a smile in another person's eye, and knowing that it is you who put it there, is virtually always rewarding no matter who that person might be.
When you select your gift, choose a present that you think will most please the person that you are purchasing it for, because a gift is meant to give pleasure to the person who receives it. Never use a gift to send a negative message to someone, or as a means to hurt them, that is just plain old rude. The type of gift that you give, reflects the type of person that you are, so make your gift a good one.