The Value of a Gift
Present Sense № 8 | DIY Gift Guide
Welcome to Present Sense – a weekend curation for Paid Subscribers – with 7 sensory recommendations: something to SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, BALANCE and ENVISION. Each week also includes an audio guided meditation.
If you rather listen, play the audio reading below.
Gifting is one of my love languages. My partner tells me it’s not a verb, but to me it is. A gift is an active endeavor, a creative effort, and an intentional choice. Gifts are a way to celebrate our relationships – a symbolic transmission of our attention, care, and time. They’re also universal acts of connection that can transcend words.
I learned that at a young age. I was around 5 years old when I reconnected with my father. At that point, we did not speak the same language: I mainly spoke French and he only knew English. So to overcome that initial barrier, my father showered me with gifts on our first encounter. Whenever my eyes sparkled with awe and wonder – whether at an ice cream cone, a stuffed animal or a ride on the merry-go-round – my father would deliver the source of joy. It was a simple, yet efficient way to demonstrate attention and to build trust and connection.
For my father, gifts weren’t just limited for times when words failed. They were a way for him to delight, mesmerize, and enchant those he loved. It wasn’t just the gifted object, but it was always in the way it was given. A romantic at heart, he loved surprising my stepmother with hidden concert passes inside a CD; or plane tickets concealed in a travel book. The slow unveiling, the anticipation, and the unexpected reaction were moments he cherished.
So I probably got it from my father, this joy of gifting. The entire process feels like a creative endeavor, culminating in sharing a moment with someone we love. But whenever the pressure of gifting – whether financial, seasonal, emotional – starts creeping in, the joy of giving is swept away.
It can be easy to conflate the value of a gift with its commercial worth. But our financial means don’t determine our gifting potential. Our ability to notice, get curious about those we care about, and dedicate a pocket of time to them, is the true magic of a gift.
This year, my partner and I challenged ourselves to only purchase one small (but thoughtful) gift. Anything else will be homemade and handcrafted. It helps us remove any consumerist associations with the holidays, and enjoy them with abundance, care and ease. On that topic, I enjoyed reading this recent essay Create vs. Consume, by
.In the spirit of gifting without consuming, I’ve compiled a DIY Gift Guide with 7 sensory gifts: something to SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, BALANCE, and ENVISION. Most of you will already have the needed supplies at home, so you should be able to make these gifts without purchasing any materials.
This week’s guided meditation explores the gift of true presence – inviting you to tap into your natural qualities, and offering them to the world.
In Joy,
Sabrina
PS: For the holiday season, I’m offering 20% off annual subscriptions. Paid subscribers receive:
Weekly Present Sense recommendations and meditation (like today)
Seasonal Travel Guides (such as Paris and Mexico City)
Analog gifts on occasions (like these Custom Astrology Cards and this Zine).
If you prefer to gift a subscription to someone, you can also do so here (the annual 20% discount applies):
