Is it really the thought that counts? Or is it something else?

Giving gifts is not the easiest thing in the world. People can be hard to buy for in certain cases. Maybe they’re the friend that «has everything,» and they have very specific tastes, and you don’t want to give them something that they won’t use. This is where we hear the term «it’s the thought that counts.» Maybe we didn’t knock it out of the park with our item selection, but we showed that we cared, and that was almost enough. But how far does this phrase go? And who does it extend to?

We hope that the people who are closest to us in life know us pretty well. We hope that they understand our hopes and wants and desires, because if they don’t, then who will? Especially our partners. You don’t choose your family, but you do choose your romantic partners, so your expectations of them might be a little bit higher. You might expect that they would be able to choose something that you would like. It may not be perfect, but it should be above average. Because all it takes to be a good gift-giver is to be a good listener, and you hope that the people whose company you keep are listening to you. It’s kind of their job to listen to you.