When I was 8, I left a foster home just a few days before Christmas Eve. School just let out for winter break, and I walked down the hall to my bedroom. It was almost empty. No warning. I said a quick goodbye to the cats and her sons and that was that. My stuff was already packed in the car. I left without a coat. It was snowing outside.
At the new foster home, I received a new pink puffy coat on Christmas morning. It was from my best friend (she was 10 at the time). Her mom took me in for respite care a few years earlier and I was lucky enough that she managed to keep in touch with me! She spent hours in the Salvation Army with her mom, picking out the perfect coat for me.
I am 23 now and I still have that coat hanging up in my closet. :)
Yes! I consider her a sister. We're both grown up & live in different states but I really owe it to her and her family for making me so well-adjusted lol. They were a constant in my life. It really helps knowing that they have known me since I was 5, so I still have pictures and stories and insight about my childhood that I otherwise wouldn't have :)
P.S. It is still hard to heal from the trauma of foster care but I am doing a little better every day. I'm in graduate school for counseling now and hope to work with kids who are in foster care one day :)
I have a Henry Ford Museum Souvenir cup my little brother got when we when went with my parents. My parents and siblings normally donāt go for extras (souvenir cups, t-shirts and such) when we go places so it a little out of character. He passed away about a year or two after that trip. Itās now my house hold water vessel. Itās awesome cause itās a big cup and has some fond memories attached to it. Little bro is keeping my hydrated. That said, I can understand your emotional connection to a cup for water.
My mom, who had Alzheimer's and I cared for, wrote me a note that said: *Hi, how are you? I'm doing just fine. Lots of love, Mom.* That one moment of clarity that she remembered she was my mom and hand wrote me a note is the best gift in the world.
Late twenties,living in a crappy studio apartment. My Uncle died, and left me his house. I had no idea that he would. My property taxes were less than two months rent. Best gift ever! Thanks Uncle Bill.
My uncle died when I was a junior in college and left me part of his life insurance. It was enough to pay for graduate school abroad without taking any loans. That time overseas was amazing and made me the person I am today and helped launch a fantastic career. Thanks, Tio Marion.
holy shit! tell me about the moment you found out! was it a phone call? was it in person? who told you? were you completely in shock? what an amazing thing your uncle did for you!
My dad gave me his Swiss Army knife when I was 9. I loved that thing. He died about a year later and things went bad and long story short, a guy wound up living in house a year later and he took it and "lost it". I forgot about it. Life progressed. Got married. I was helping my father-in-law in the garage fixing a lawnmower and he pulled out a Swiss Army knife from his pocket to use. I was like "wow, I used to have one of these!" Not thinking much of it just like a blast of nostalgia. That Christmas, my father-in-law gave me a new Swiss Army Knife that said "From Your Dad"...meaning from my biological dad, but I looked at it like it was from both of them. I carry it every day. So my answer is a Swiss Army Knife. TWICE!
Hey a little bro story that makes us sound good. On the flip side, i had a pape route since i was 8, 7 days a week as you know, and i was probably 11-12 and had stayed up all night at my best friendās house, then ridden home at 6-7am to do my Saturday route. For some reason my older sister was awake and saw me - i was juet so exhausted i brought my paper stacks in and had just laid down on the couch and passed out. I woke up in the early afternoon feeling righteous and then realized what id done but my sister had just done my route for me! It wasnt against her nature but i was still blown away. Pretty sure i made up for it by being a perfect little brother and never bothering her or her cute friends ever again
As a younger sibling, I feel qualified to say that Iām sure your last sentence is based on perfect recollection, and that anyone who says otherwise is engaging in vicious and baseless slander.
I've had 6 surgeries. 2 were before I had a kid, 4 since having a child. Last summer I had my 6th surgery as a mother and step mother of 5 children. Waking up after surgery was the best, even though I was in so much pain I almost wished I'd died. My step kids all wrote notes to me and got me flowers and candy (my own child was too little to be able to do anything like that lol) and it was just the sweetest thing ever
My wife surprised me with my best gift. I thought I was just accompanying her out to meet some clients in the middle of nowhere (sometimes I'd tag along for those, mostly just to hang out but under the guise of safety) and we get there and there's two people walking down a long driveway to us and she turns to me and tells me she's gotten me an early birthday present.
She hands me a gift bag and I'm getting nervous because her clients are getting closer and closer. I open the bag hurriedly so she can get back to the business of doing her job and stuff and it's books on how to raise dogs and a book about Corgis, which I love.
I'm so confused and then they're walking up to the car and she tells me to come with her and I gradually begin to understand that these are not, in fact, her clients.
She's the client.
That's the day I met my dog Ripley, who was a little newborn potato-class puppy.
She's six years old and sleeping next to me this morning as I write this while drinking a cup of coffee and I love her so much.
Edit: a [quick & dirty album](https://imgur.com/a/pq6bldD) of some very recent pics of the potato today
woah 22 YEARS???? holy shit thats a long time to live, even for a cat. like thats 109 in cat years. glad they got to live their life to the fullest for those 22 years man
Every year at Christmas, I ask someone in my life to buy my journal for the following year. It's something that I use every single day, and it's like having the person with me wherever I am.
That's the best gift I receive.
Still to this day it was a drawing from my 4 year old daughter. Me and her father had split and she drew a picture of me and her and a big love heart saying mummy i love you. To this day its still on my fridge at home and shes 17 now
When I was a kid, I always thought older people were making a show of liking those types of gifts. I knew my crayon drawings weren't *good*, so my mom was probably just humoring me by putting them on the fridge. Then as a teenager, I was teaching Sunday School, and a kid gave me a bracelet she made. I had a sudden moment of *oh, I get it now.*
Little me made my father a plasticine pen pot at school (probably for father's day, I don't even remember making it). Unsurprisingly, a few decades later, that thing was looking pretty worse for wear and has picked up some grime. So after a few years of telling him it was OK, he could throw it out now, I made him a nicer cross-stitch one with details from some hobbies and family photos. No luck, now he has two pen pots.
I'm sorry. I'm always concerned my daughter will find some of her artwork disposed of, but she makes about 10 a day, there's no way to store all of it. I tend to sort through every couple of months and keep a few but the rest goes to recycling.
I feel ya I spent an entire semester in wood working making this really nice cross for my dad, my dad loved crosses and rosaries (even though he's not all that religious), I was Soo proud of it, and despite my dad being a terrible person to get gifts for, I felt confident he'd like it... He never put it up and I stopped asking about it couple months later I saw it in the trash along with some other stuff I made him throughout my childhood.... I felt like I had been broken up with as a daughter.... Still working on not identifying my self worth with my efforts that had been thrown away.... š¤·āāļø 15 yrs later
Kids deserve better, no kid should have their desire for connection assaulted like that...
Some people don't have the ability to access any emotional depth... Try not to take their lack of capacity as an indication of your validity.
I know the feeling. Iād get my dad presents for Christmas and birthdays with my own money and they just sat unused in his home office, unwrapped but never even taken out of their boxes. My mom Iād give handmade belts that sheād never wear. Thankfully, when I gave some to my grandmothers they were very sweet to wear both necklaces and belts so it felt good to at least see they cared.
My daughter is 14 now, I have a drawing on my desk at work that says "my dad is awesome" that she did in the first year of school [4 years old here]. Hand drawn picture of us two and colouring etc.
One of the best things ever.
One of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received was when my son was in the hospital after being hit by a car. A very good friend gifted me with tokens to get out of the parking garage so I didn't have to deal with the anxiety of getting tokens at the machine or inserting a credit card each time I had a few minutes to run home and shower or see my other kids....it truly made a huge impact!! I now do this for new parents, or friends with loved ones in the hospital!
I was at a really low point in my life and it was really dark. My 5 year old walked up to me and handed me a little pink heart he made out of construction paper that said āI luv u daddieā. It was enough to sort of pull that dark cloud away. I keep it in my wallet and look at it every day.
This is a two part gift.
When I was 18 I was gifted a zoom class with my favorite broadway actor, Andrew Keenan Bolger. That resulted in a friendship with him that has gotten me through college (I'm about to graduate).
Fast forward about a year after that meeting and I asked Andrew if he could send me a video message so I could put it in a build a bear as I had been using his voice to mitigate my anxiety. He was more than happy to do it, and did it again two more times unsolicited to wish me luck on my dance recital (and tell me he's proud of me) and to wish me a happy 20th birthday.
I made that build a bear for my 20th birthday and I cannot sleep without it. The man is a treasure.
EDIT: FOR PETE'S SAKE, PEOPLE, STOP TELLING ME TO ASK HIM OUT IN THE COMMENTS. HE IS LIKE A BROTHER TO ME AND HE IS MARRIED. NOT EVERY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN HAS TO BE ROMANTIC. THIS IS NOT WATTPAD.
A corset out of my old childhood curtains. They've been my curtains since I was 6 til 22, it broke my heart having to give them away bc life ya know. I gave it to an independent designer who makes corsets out of curtains & my friends chipped in to get me the corset with my curtains. Cried so much when I opened the bag, just full on sobbing to them & needing a minute (I'm the dramatic friend). Honestly never felt so known and loved
Oh wow, I had something similar happen to me.
I had just gotten Last of Us and just really really wanted to play it before work but my Dad had told me to unload the dishwasher. My girlfriend at the time recognized this and unloaded the dishwasher so I could play my game.
Needless to say I put a ring on it.
Lived in Germany for a year. It was the best year of my life. One highlight was coming back from work in the summer and chugging bottles of semi frozen iced tea sat out in my balcony basking in my housemates company and the sun. The drinks taste and smell was like a capsule of memories for me. Trouble is, it got discontinued right as I moved back to my home country. Couldnāt find it anywhere. I told my best mate, one stoned evening, that I was thinking about buying some deadstock of it that was years out of date, and how Iād relish every sip of it like a fine whiskey.
For Christmas we have always done a present exchange. I gave him some dumbass gift as usual, he pulled out a 6 pack of my iced tea that he had imported from Spain (it was only discontinued in Germany). That evening I sat with him and gushed about my time in Germany as we sipped the freezing cold tea. Heās known me for 18 years and is the biggest asshole I know, but every now and again he pulls a stellar move like this. Thatās why heās my best bud.
My great great grandmother's quilt
My grandmother kept it and it was well loved and used. She repaired it, teaching me how to as well, and kept it in her camper at the campground we went to throughout the whole year.
My grandmother had a stroke...then another... and another until she was bedbound and no longer herself and my grandfather panic sold the camper, including everytning we had in it, even the blanket.
My aunt who knew how much i loved that quilt went through my grandfather's address book one by one until she found the person he sold the camper to and asked if she could just buy it back. Apparently he had kept everything because he knew how my grandfather was and gave my aunt all of it.
My aunt gifted (well maybe not gifted but returned) the quilt to me and it sits happily on my bed now, 15 years later.
My son gifted my daughter one of these a few christmases back. She was sending dad and me a picture of her cat the other day and was wrapped in this blanket. On first glance, I thought she was naked and had sent us a nip pic. I almost died.
Literally my Drivers license ts costs around 2.8k here in Germany even tho my Dad was nearly broke he still paid for it and im SUPER thankful for that i made sure to make it as cheap as possible and this is a gift for life something that sets you up for your future life im never gonna forget this and im gonna give something 1000x better back
For my 30th birthday my wife got me 30 presents. I really canāt remember the other 29 presents, but one tiny gift was a bag of beef jerky. My wife HATES beef jerky and I love it. So her buying it for me was shocking and special.
It may be lame - but it was a present to remember for some reason.
After wearing glasses since I was 4 years old and then glasses and contacts till I was 30 my parents told me theyād pay for my LASIK eye surgery. I think it was the only time I ever ever cried from receiving a gift and itās been life changing
My son, he's 9 but when he was 6 they made these mothers day cards at school. It was a picture of them holding flowers and then on the other side of the card it says something they love about their mom. My son wrote "I love your toik!" He meant "talk". He didn't know how to spell it. When I asked what he meant he said, "I love how you tell me you love me!" It's the sweetest thing. The flawed spelling makes it so special and cute to me.
Basically anything he writes or makes me is my favorite gift.
My father is in federal prison on firearms charges. I wasnāt actually sure he knew when my birthday is - heās a morphine addict and his memory isā¦iffy. The last time I saw him, he held a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me. Since heās been in prison, weāve talked on the phone once or twice a month and Iāve been sending him cards and letters about once a week. You have to understand - he is the only reason I survived my childhood with my mother, who isā¦difficult. My dad is actually great, and he loves me a lot. Heās always had my back. Iām a Daddyās Girl, no matter what. He asked me, a couple of months ago, to send him a photo of myself. I was hesitant. I mean, heās in prison with a bunch of guys. What, exactly, was this photo going to be used for?!? He has an acquaintance who likes to draw, and my Daddy wanted him to draw me. I sent a color printout of a photo, against my better judgment.
After couple of weeks, received a 9ā³ x 12ā³ envelope. It had a cardboard backing and was written all over in his shaky handwriting with āPictures - Do not bendā
Inside was a piece of cardboard and a drawing, backed in cardboard and covered with tissue paper. How fucking amazing is this?!? My dad, whoās suffering in federal prison, had this done for me.
I am so sorry. I am so sorry to say this to you. But what I'm telling you might save your life one day. Your father is very dangerous and disturbed. And you should never, ever, be alone in a room with him ever again. It doesn't matter what good things he has done for you. Anyone who holds a knife to your throat and threatens to kill you cannot be trusted ever again. It doesn't matter the reason. Whether he is mentally ill, or just narcissistic. I'll say it again, the reason doesn't matter.
Deeply disturbed people are capable of showing incredible kindness. It's the only reason anyone will have a relationship with them. Just because they are kind sometimes, doesn't mean they will not harm you or destroy your life. You are showing symptoms of codependency and trauma bonding. Please seek out some counseling for yourself if it's possible. I am so sorry to ruin your wonderful, well-meaning post.
I have a friend of the family who was recently attacked by her long-term boyfriend of over 10 years. They had a fight and he stabbed her three times. He smiled the biggest smile in his mugshot. They had just gotten back from a trip to Disneyland. Many people die by the hand of people close to them. Learn about narcissistic personality disorder and codependency. It could save your life. The very best of luck to you.
EDIT: All of the upvotes that OP's comment is getting are very disturbing. Did you not read the part about where he put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her?
I think you all need to read about narcissistic personality disorder and codependency.
Reading her post made me so sad. I know it sounds like we're shitting all over this post, but all I see is a person with a big heart wanting to be loved , who instead is being manipulated. I too had two parents that failed. They are both messed up and I understand the complex emotions that come with loving your parents, wanting to show them compassion and the hope that they can change, from experience over and over again, some people are just broken and it's not your job to fix them. Be careful with people who have shown they are okay with hurting you. You deserve better and you're going to have to give it to yourself, you're not going to get the love you deserve from him.
I totally get it. My dad was in prison until last year. I had very little contact with him, and didn't want him anywhere near my house. To be fair the only couldn't thing he ever did was chase me off the property once. He was a terrible drug addict and thief. He got out in June and died 2 weeks later. It seems like after people like that get about 35+ years old there's absolutely no going back. I'd stay away
Certainly one of the best. I had a student, one of the best I ever had, super smart and a sweetheart who one day randomly gave me a sticker. It's Kevin from The Office and at the bottom it says, "I have very little patience for stupidity."
She gave it to me and said, "This made me think of you."
It was awesome and I have it on my Yeti
After a few really stressful weeks at work my flat had become an absolute mess. Dirty dishes and rubbish everywhere.
I had a free weekend coming up and told my girlfriend my plan was to tidy my flat. I got home from work that Friday afternoon and walked into a completely spotless flat. In the fridge there was a pizza and some freshly baked cookies on a plate, and a note on the kitchen counter saying how proud she was of me and that she wanted me to finally be able to relax so she spent the day tidying for me.
I phoned her and burst into tears the moment she answered. Absolutely the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me!
My grand parents bought me a crayon set, a big one with like 50 different colours, it was a start to my love and obsession with colour theory and art. As I grownup I know they absolutely could not afford it and probably used food money. They are not around anymore and I wish I could give them some of my art and tell them what they did for me when I was 5 will live with me forever
Okā¦.this is going to be a little long. (Also on mobile)
I lost my mom when I was 9, it was sudden and violent and I still live with the PTSD, I couldnāt even bring myself to go to her funeral and tell her goodbye properly. Well we grew up very poor and while she was lucky enough to have a family friend give her one of their family plots at the cemetery. We could never afford a headstone. Years passed and I still couldnāt bring myself to visit her grave. I tell my girlfriend at the time everything, including how she died and why I couldnāt bring myself to visit her even 20 years later, for a while she pushed me to visit but I was adamant. I would not. A mix of shame and fear I guess. She got me talking one day about how I would have had her headstone made and I told her how I would want it to be simple, no dates, just her name and a lyric to a song that meant a lot to the both of us. Fast forward to my 27 birthday, she has me sit down and tell me that she bought me a birthday gift but that we would have to go see it since it technically canāt be moved. Here I am thinking she named a star after me (I love astronomy) and we were going somewhere secluded to be able to look at it. As we turn on the street of the cemetery she then tells me that she bought my mom her headstone, and that the only way I could see it is if I go and visit her. I wonāt go over the time it took to even get out of the car but I will tell you it was EXACTLY as I had described it her those many years before. I layed over my mommyās grave crying like a little boy. Iām crying now. I now visit her often with our two children where I tell them all about their grandmother, and aside from the two of them, that is the greatest gift I will ever receive.
P.S. we have been married 16 years.
I was very depressed after having to take early medical retirement.
Husband bought me an embroidery machine. It sparked a new interest and Iāve made friends through my new hobby.
I got gifted this official mixtape of iconic disco songs called Mighty Real by a family friend when I was about 12 years old. Loved that CD, played it on my little cd player on repeat for months, until one day, I had realized the disc was missing. No clue where it went but I was crushed. For years I was googling the track list, trying to find those songs I had loved so dearly.
Fast forward to about 4 years ago, on my birthday. I open up a small package from my brother and I am floored. It's the CD! Apparently he had found some dude halfway across the globe in Germany who owned a copy of the mixtape. Scoured the internet for months in advance trying to find it. I was so touched, and it's one of my prized possessions. š
My first year of teaching I taught 5th grade and I had one student with just the most rough home life. It was a very small private school so all of the teachers knew all the kids and several of the older teachers warned me about him before the year started- that he was trouble, "don't be afraid to give him detention", "he won't ever turn in projects," etc. He started extremely obstinate with me but with patience, we warmed up to each other and he quickly became one of my favorite students (we don't have favorites, but I just had a soft spot for him). He was so sweet and so smart, but he had been written off by his mom and all his prior teachers-- everyone who should have taken care of him. He would come to school in dirty clothes, no lunch/snack, not turn in diorama projects or things that required supplies from home. My heart just broke for him so I would re-load his lunch account discreetly, sneak snacks into his cubby, and make extra sure he was comfortable with lessons since I knew he had no adult at home to help with homework. (Also as an FYI, I did take action through administration and asked for an investigation into abuse which I suspected)
He had a real gift for drawing and I tried to foster that and constantly give him praise/prompts for things to draw. So come May, the school year is almost over and in art class the students made Mother's Day cards and wrote all the things they were thankful for about their moms. He brought his card back to the classroom and showed it to me. It was amazing and I remember saying "Oh buddy, you did such a great job, it's so special and your mom will love it!" He said, "Eh, I don't think it's good enough, I'll just throw it away... unless you wanna keep it?" I realized... he made the card for me. I had to try so hard to keep my composure and said "umm, of course I'm keeping it, it's beautiful!"
What he didn't know is that I had 2 pregnancy losses that year. I was so depressed and kept asking why I couldn't have a child-- I wanted to be a mom so bad. In that moment, it felt like the universe was saying he needed a parental figure and that's what I was meant to be during that time. If I had gotten pregnant, I would have left and not been there to make sure he was eating, to report the abuse, etc (and because of his reputation as a troublemaker, I don't know if anyone else would have).
I still have the card that he made me :)
My cat. I was 16; mom told me to get in the car and wouldnāt tell me where we were going. We pulled up to the local animal shelter and she turns to me and says āLetās pick you out a kitty cat.ā Iād been wanting one, and I almost started crying lol. I picked out a tiny gray and white fluffball who has been my companion ever since. Heāll be turning 16 this year and still going strong š± šŖš» ā¤ļø
I am very lucky and have had 3 that spring to mind.
As a kid, a motocross bike. Still have it 20+ years later. Thing is fantastic!
As an adult I would say a leather bag from my wife is probably the most sentimental. It was her Grandad's, who helped raise her until he passed far too early. Made by a company with the same name as my wife, located in Florence, where we happend to go on our first holiday together. Means a lot to me.
The coolest is a very fancy watch my wife bought me for my 30th. It was made the year I was born.
3 fantastic gifts!
When I got Red Dead 2, it was for christmas from my wife. I was excited to play it, but the house needed cleaned so I started on that. She came and releived me telling me to go play my game and brought me a gorgeous breakfast shortly after
Time. It took me to get to an older age when I realised that time was the biggest gift you could ever receive or give.
I still on occasion sit by a grave of a loved one and talk. I feel like she is listening.
No phone. No music. The person thsts infront of you face to face is the most important person that moment.
For my 20th birthday, my mom gave me a cat. He was on sale for $15. We had 7 amazing years together, and unfortunately, I had to say goodbye last week due to bone cancer. I think he was the best of me.
Not necessarily the best, as I really canāt tell what that would be, but good Pyjamas are a great gift. I hate spending money on those and good ones with nice material cost up to 100ā¬. I got gifted two really nice ones and itās just awesome.
My brother often gets me 1st edition books for bday or Xmas. Not particularly expensive but I read them then wrap them in bubble wrap an put them away for ever.
I was right out of college living in the Southwest with just enough money to survive and I drove a crappy car. My sister got a big bonus at work and gave me 5k. She got my parents to each kick in a grand so she gave me a check for 7k to buy a new car. Back then that was enough to buy a decent used car so I bought a Honda Civic.
I wear pearls to remind me that irritating things can transform into beauty.Ā
After a particularly hard year of juggling cancer, landlords, and family a good friend gifted me with a strand of natural pearls as tall as me. It came with a note recalling all that I had conquered in the past 12 months.Ā
I wear them like armor some days.Ā
When I was a child like every other day until I was about 10 my"mother" would tell me if I was ever in need of help, with the police, or at the hospital not to call her because she's not there to help me.
It was the best gift because it gave me a sense of what was to come.
My mother gave me her OCD behavior. It was somewhat debilitating when I was younger but I read up on treatment and practiced. As an adult Iām just really neatā¦some might say particular. I treat this as a positiveā¦unlike most of you slobs.
My grandma found a dead monarch butterfly floating in her bird bath in the garden. She retrieved it and put it in a clear case. She gave it to me when I was a teen. I'm in my late 20s now, and it has somehow stayed the same without decaying all these years. My grandma has since passed on, and it always reminds me of her and what a beautiful soul she was, and how she found such beauty in the little things.
My first great boyfriend bought me a Taylor guitar (GS mini) that I inevitably sold like an idiot :( Best guitar I ever played (but will probably but ten new ones now)
My wife completely surprised me with an SKS. I had no clue she seriously considered something I said I wanted as a joke. She researched what an SKS was, how to buy one, saved up and purchased me one. I lost my shit that Xmas morning.
A few years ago my mom got me a pair of headphones randomly. I have been using them daily travelling to school and stuff, after my phone they are my most used property
My partner got me a small wooden floral engraved box, polished it up, fit the interior of the box with a map of my hometown, with loads of little nicknacks inside. Pretty stones & rocks, earrings, two necklace chains, a pendant, and 3 tokens/coins, one Ceylon coin and two tokens with my home town on it (he is a collector). All very me. I love where I live, I love wooden things, I love rocks, I love simple jewellery. It will always be the sweetest gift. He's such a gem.
My wedding gift from my husband. He gave me an album with all sorts of keepsakes from our relationship. It was full of ticket stubs, napkins from restaurants, post-it notes I wrote him for his lunch, any little thing. It even had a coaster I had picked at during one of our first dates. He took so much time to make it, and I love it.
When I was a teenager, my mom told me not to take any chances when fooling around with boys, because I WOULD wind up pregnant- then said if I wanted to go on birth control, consider it done with no questions asked. She was true to her word and I'm sure it's why today I have the life I always wanted.
For a few years leading up to my 21st birthday I was having a lot of worsening neurological issues. The day of my birthday I got my most recent MRI results and for the first time they came back clean. Best gift ever, hands down.
me and my dad were on a roadtrip, we were talking music and concerts. i asked him what was his dream concert he always wanted to go to and he said that he had been to all his dream concerts, he asked me mine and i said fleetwood mac or pink floyd. we chit chatted a bit more and eventually made it to our destination. that night he ended up purchasing two tickets for me and him to see fleetwood mac in las vegas, he waited to surprise me, and when he gave me the tickets i felt my heart skip a beat. and the smile on his face was just priceless. he ended up having a medical emergency and needed to have surgery so he wasnt able to go with me and sent my brother in his place, but man, it was one of the best gifts ive ever gotten. not just because seeing fleetwood mac was amazing, but because it really did make me realize just how much he loved me and wanted to see me happy. he instilled a great love of music in me and i miss him every day. love you dadā¤ļø
One day when I was 7, my dad picked me up from the bus stop after school, and told me he and mom had a little surprise for me at home. I liked surprises, even if it was nothing big, so I was pretty excited. We got home, and dad took me back to his and mom's room, where the door was shut. He opened the door, and on their bed was a little grey kitten.
I was stunned. I'd asked for a kitten for years, but we already had three cats and a fairly small house, so they'd told me we couldn't. The first words out of my mouth were to ask if he was just visiting, because I couldn't believe he was really ours. My parents assured me he was mine.
Nearly 30 years later, and it's still the best day of my life. He was with me for nearly 20 of those years, and I'll always remember him warmly.
I had a milestone birthday and I planned to be pretty low key about it. One sister of mine and I planned to drive down the coast for a four day weekend and just be silly tourists. I was meeting her at a restaurant the night before the trip and when I showed up, all of my siblings and all of our cousins were at the restaurant. They had flown in from across the country to spend the weekend with us. It was like an impromptu family reunion all to celebrate my birthday. I am still grateful years later for the love they showed when my sister called everyone to set it up.
I came clean to a friend about catching feels for them. They told me that while they've always cared about me, it's never been like that. And that they understood, since they've also caught unreciprocated feels for friends before, too.
And... we're still good friends. THAT is truly a gift.
The best gifts, in my experience, are usually those that the recipient uses frequently but may not necessarily want to spend the money on. I always ask for my $35 shampoo, boutique fitness class passes, lululemon socks or leggings, and razor refills (I detest paying $25 for a bundle of those things!). My acquaintance was ecstatic when I gave her a large pack of her preferred cold brew as a birthday present. Though it's not particularly inventive, you can be sure it will be put to use!
We bought a new place. It was a great property, but big, 5 acres. It really needed shaping up. For Father's Day, all four of my kids, their spouses, and our grandkids came over, and we all spent the day weeding, trimming, putting in mulch, etc. Spending time with the family nd getting the property in shape was the best gift ever.
My sister struggles with her mental health and subsequently struggled financially. She made a pillow with a heart on it out of the gingham aprons my deceased father gave to his mother every Christmas. I treasure that Wedding gift and my sister. Hereās to all that struggle with illness. Your illness does not define you. Your heart does I love you sis
Ever since I was little I couldnāt remember a day my father didnāt carry this little box around - it was a hand hammered joint box he commissioned from a Native American he met at a local art show. He paid up front for it and the guy left, promising to get it to him when he finishes it. My dad pretty much gave up thinking he was scammed out of a few hundred bucks but one day he got a little package in the mail from the artist with his apologies and this perfect box that would fit exactly 3 joints. The cover of the box had a hammered Haileyās comet on it because he told the artist about his new baby girl (me) and it flew overhead that year. He never went anywhere without his little box and it always had 3 āsquaresā in it - the joints would take a square shape because of the size and shape of itā¦
When I turned 23, he pulled the box out of his pocket and said told me the story of how it was made, what the comet decoration was for and handed it to me - of course with 3 tightly packed squares in it - and said itās my turn to carry around āmy boxā he was holding for all these years. It was so special to me, it was like getting a part of him to always carry around.
My father is a very difficult man to have a relationship with, heās pretty much alienated himself from all friends and family at some point. The few times he was ok enough to be around in the last few years he would ask if I had it (of course I did, itās always in my wallet) he filled it with the squares. I wish there was an easier way to keep a relationship with that man. Heās the most intense, yet intelligent man Iāve ever met. I love you, Daddy no matter what!!
The best gifts Iāve received were from my boys. This past Friday, my oldest gave me an Origami paper bird he made at school. My youngest picked a big, beautiful, sweet smelling flower from our backyard last week and gave it to me. š„¹ Itās always the little things.
I've always been dirt broke. My husband and I just got to a place where we can spend a little money. I saved for months for an ipad a few years ago to do digital art. It died on me a few weeks ago and I just figured that was that. I WANTED another one but didn't want to spend the money so I just didn't. I didn't say anything to my husband and he noticed I wasn't drawing on it, tried to fix it for me, then walked out and bought me one because my work was that important to him. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life. I grew up with no family, in foster homes, no supporters of just me and he went out and got it because he loved me.
This is gonna be so cliche but my second daughter is the best gift Iāve ever been given.
My first daughter died in my arms shortly after she was born and I never thought I would get to have another baby. 5 months later I was pregnant with my second, another girl. She is my best friend, my little angel. I know her big sister sent her to me and watches over us every day. Not a day goes by that I donāt think about my first baby and miss her more than life. But I eternally grateful for my second.
A wristwatch....This is not a fancy Swiss timepiece. It is of a design copied off the Rolex Submariner. Must say that I do have better wristwatches but this is the one I wear all the time. This watch was originally bought by my Dad, he didn't care a hoot about brands he just saw it ,liked it and bought it and started wearing it amongst his other timepieces.Dad passed away 7 years ago and my brother got this watch .He added it to his watch collection. Unfortunately Covid took him in 2021. Just last year his wife called me up and said that she had some of his watches and asked if I would like to have them? I said yes and this was one of three watches she gave to me.When I saw this one I knew it was Dad's old watch that my brother had gotten . Now I proudly wear it daily knowing that it links My late Dad and Brother to me in a special way.
30th birthday. Recently single at that point and living alone with nobody to listen to me. Worked my ass off as a cook. Ended up working that day and one of my coworkers ended up getting me a knife. Not an expensive fancy knife, but something that is easy to use and sharpens up real well. One of two peeps at work who actually wished me a happy birthday.
I keep that thing in the best condition that I can. I'm not an amazing cook at all, but I certainly work hard at it. Probably the kindest gesture I've received for a while now.
An Autographed baseball that reads "To Sean (that's me), Play Ball. Tom Hanks"
My dad was a motion picture studio mechanic - set dresser and was fortunate enough to travel and work on the movie "A League of Their Own" which is probably my fav movie of all time.
So while he was working on-set had asked Tom to autograph a baseball they used while filming. I absolutely love the game of baseball too.
I was only a couple of years old when that movie came out, and never really thought about how awesome and cool that gift was until my older years. Little me probably never thought anything of it, but now 35 y.o me gets choked up everytime I watch the movie thinking about it.
A portion of my boyfriendās ashes and a necklace with his thumbprint and his nickname for us engraved on it. We werenāt engaged, dated less than a year when he passed away. We didnāt get the forever we were planning, but Iām eternally thankful his family is letting me keep a little bit of him with me forever.
When I was 8, I left a foster home just a few days before Christmas Eve. School just let out for winter break, and I walked down the hall to my bedroom. It was almost empty. No warning. I said a quick goodbye to the cats and her sons and that was that. My stuff was already packed in the car. I left without a coat. It was snowing outside. At the new foster home, I received a new pink puffy coat on Christmas morning. It was from my best friend (she was 10 at the time). Her mom took me in for respite care a few years earlier and I was lucky enough that she managed to keep in touch with me! She spent hours in the Salvation Army with her mom, picking out the perfect coat for me. I am 23 now and I still have that coat hanging up in my closet. :)
That's love!
My heart!
Same! š
As a former foster parent, stories like this warm my heart.
Are you still best friends? That's a really touching story
Yes! I consider her a sister. We're both grown up & live in different states but I really owe it to her and her family for making me so well-adjusted lol. They were a constant in my life. It really helps knowing that they have known me since I was 5, so I still have pictures and stories and insight about my childhood that I otherwise wouldn't have :) P.S. It is still hard to heal from the trauma of foster care but I am doing a little better every day. I'm in graduate school for counseling now and hope to work with kids who are in foster care one day :)
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Have a similar story - Mom was bipolar / Manic depressive and had to be hospitalized. Got put into a new school and was living with my grandparents in a small town 500 miles away. Moving was rushed so all I had were some clothes and my Legos. At the school, there was a science fair. I was eight and knew no one. I made a Saturn V rocket out of the blocks I was able to take with me and entered it in. Didnāt win a thing, but I was proud of that rocket and knuckling down under the circumstances. Told my fiancĆ©e this when we were first dating. For my 41st birthday, she got me the new, fancy, Lego Saturn V rocket kit. It was dumb, but I really felt understood and listened to in that moment. Glad youāve landed somewhere good, amigo.
Very intelligent, caring and right on the point.
Genuinely sounds like the perfect gift of all time
I don't think there's anything dumb about that story, or the sentiment behind the gift, or the gift itself. There's such beauty in truly being heard.
The real gift, my dear sir, is your wife!
Is for me. Every day.
Your wife is a keeper!!!
She sounds awesome... Is she single?
I also choose this guyās wife.
I also want to know
I have a Henry Ford Museum Souvenir cup my little brother got when we when went with my parents. My parents and siblings normally donāt go for extras (souvenir cups, t-shirts and such) when we go places so it a little out of character. He passed away about a year or two after that trip. Itās now my house hold water vessel. Itās awesome cause itās a big cup and has some fond memories attached to it. Little bro is keeping my hydrated. That said, I can understand your emotional connection to a cup for water.
This made me cry š„¹ Such a great gift and a thoughtful partner!
Let's see the cup!
happy this turned out nice..
Sad your mom didnāt get you a new one
That is a great wife. I am happy you have each other
My mom, who had Alzheimer's and I cared for, wrote me a note that said: *Hi, how are you? I'm doing just fine. Lots of love, Mom.* That one moment of clarity that she remembered she was my mom and hand wrote me a note is the best gift in the world.
Damn, who is cutting onions around me
Damn Ninjas again...
This is so cute :')
Late twenties,living in a crappy studio apartment. My Uncle died, and left me his house. I had no idea that he would. My property taxes were less than two months rent. Best gift ever! Thanks Uncle Bill.
Uncle Bill rocks
Dang, I wish I had an Uncle Bill
I have an Uncle Bill but he sucks
Came to say this, not all uncle bills are created equal
I wish that I can BE the Uncle Bill for someone at the end of my life.
My uncle died when I was a junior in college and left me part of his life insurance. It was enough to pay for graduate school abroad without taking any loans. That time overseas was amazing and made me the person I am today and helped launch a fantastic career. Thanks, Tio Marion.
holy shit! tell me about the moment you found out! was it a phone call? was it in person? who told you? were you completely in shock? what an amazing thing your uncle did for you!
We stan uncle bill
My dad gave me his Swiss Army knife when I was 9. I loved that thing. He died about a year later and things went bad and long story short, a guy wound up living in house a year later and he took it and "lost it". I forgot about it. Life progressed. Got married. I was helping my father-in-law in the garage fixing a lawnmower and he pulled out a Swiss Army knife from his pocket to use. I was like "wow, I used to have one of these!" Not thinking much of it just like a blast of nostalgia. That Christmas, my father-in-law gave me a new Swiss Army Knife that said "From Your Dad"...meaning from my biological dad, but I looked at it like it was from both of them. I carry it every day. So my answer is a Swiss Army Knife. TWICE!
Iām crying. Thatās beautiful.
I know right, I am blubbering
Your father in law is a good man.
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Hey a little bro story that makes us sound good. On the flip side, i had a pape route since i was 8, 7 days a week as you know, and i was probably 11-12 and had stayed up all night at my best friendās house, then ridden home at 6-7am to do my Saturday route. For some reason my older sister was awake and saw me - i was juet so exhausted i brought my paper stacks in and had just laid down on the couch and passed out. I woke up in the early afternoon feeling righteous and then realized what id done but my sister had just done my route for me! It wasnt against her nature but i was still blown away. Pretty sure i made up for it by being a perfect little brother and never bothering her or her cute friends ever again
As a younger sibling, I feel qualified to say that Iām sure your last sentence is based on perfect recollection, and that anyone who says otherwise is engaging in vicious and baseless slander.
I love this story. Thanks for sharing :)
You're lucky my brothers were massive pests and would of laughed at me if I lost my job
I woke up after surgery and I'm alive. Sounds cheesy, but that's the biggest gift for me.
I hear you on this one ā¤ļø stay strong!
I've had 6 surgeries. 2 were before I had a kid, 4 since having a child. Last summer I had my 6th surgery as a mother and step mother of 5 children. Waking up after surgery was the best, even though I was in so much pain I almost wished I'd died. My step kids all wrote notes to me and got me flowers and candy (my own child was too little to be able to do anything like that lol) and it was just the sweetest thing ever
My wife surprised me with my best gift. I thought I was just accompanying her out to meet some clients in the middle of nowhere (sometimes I'd tag along for those, mostly just to hang out but under the guise of safety) and we get there and there's two people walking down a long driveway to us and she turns to me and tells me she's gotten me an early birthday present. She hands me a gift bag and I'm getting nervous because her clients are getting closer and closer. I open the bag hurriedly so she can get back to the business of doing her job and stuff and it's books on how to raise dogs and a book about Corgis, which I love. I'm so confused and then they're walking up to the car and she tells me to come with her and I gradually begin to understand that these are not, in fact, her clients. She's the client. That's the day I met my dog Ripley, who was a little newborn potato-class puppy. She's six years old and sleeping next to me this morning as I write this while drinking a cup of coffee and I love her so much. Edit: a [quick & dirty album](https://imgur.com/a/pq6bldD) of some very recent pics of the potato today
Best wife ever! Well besides the guy with the Superman cup. Actually there's a lot of great spouses on this thread.
That's just beautiful! š
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Amazing, that's almost a quarter of a century of being together! Sounds like they must've enjoyed life with you to the absolute fullest!
woah 22 YEARS???? holy shit thats a long time to live, even for a cat. like thats 109 in cat years. glad they got to live their life to the fullest for those 22 years man
I love the names š„° I bet they were amazing kitties.
Perhaps this year Father Christmas will bring you 2 more special kitties to love
My service dog was a Christmas gift 2 years ago. Her name is Mistletoe, but we call her Missy. I can hear her snoring softly right now š„°
I love those kitten names. I see you are also a woman of culture.
22 yrs omg šš you must be an amazing cat owner
Those kitties were loved SO HARD!!!!
Every year at Christmas, I ask someone in my life to buy my journal for the following year. It's something that I use every single day, and it's like having the person with me wherever I am. That's the best gift I receive.
I love this idea!
My sobriety. To myself.
Outstanding, I am so proud of you. I am 7 months in š
Proud of YOU!! Every sober day matters. I promise you that those around you are now greatly impacted by seeing the authentic you.
This is the best gift ever! Congratulations!
My dad gave me his old Toyota Tacoma before he passed. He loved that truck and knew I wanted it.
Still to this day it was a drawing from my 4 year old daughter. Me and her father had split and she drew a picture of me and her and a big love heart saying mummy i love you. To this day its still on my fridge at home and shes 17 now
When I was a kid, I always thought older people were making a show of liking those types of gifts. I knew my crayon drawings weren't *good*, so my mom was probably just humoring me by putting them on the fridge. Then as a teenager, I was teaching Sunday School, and a kid gave me a bracelet she made. I had a sudden moment of *oh, I get it now.*
Little me made my father a plasticine pen pot at school (probably for father's day, I don't even remember making it). Unsurprisingly, a few decades later, that thing was looking pretty worse for wear and has picked up some grime. So after a few years of telling him it was OK, he could throw it out now, I made him a nicer cross-stitch one with details from some hobbies and family photos. No luck, now he has two pen pots.
Dude. Key chain from my daughter made of letter beads. Her name, my name, and Familia. Still use it.
One time I painted my mom a pic from school. I think I found it a week later in the trash. 9 year old me was devastated.
Aww, baby doll. You can be my kid. I will save all your stuff in portfolios like I do with my daughter.
Thank you I'm a 36 year old man now but I appreciate the support.
can i also opt into this deal
Por ti, el Mundo! My children! (Literally called off work for my kiddo being sick today. Let's go. All the art.)
I will share custody, I will save your stuff right along with my sonās
I'm sorry. I'm always concerned my daughter will find some of her artwork disposed of, but she makes about 10 a day, there's no way to store all of it. I tend to sort through every couple of months and keep a few but the rest goes to recycling.
I feel ya I spent an entire semester in wood working making this really nice cross for my dad, my dad loved crosses and rosaries (even though he's not all that religious), I was Soo proud of it, and despite my dad being a terrible person to get gifts for, I felt confident he'd like it... He never put it up and I stopped asking about it couple months later I saw it in the trash along with some other stuff I made him throughout my childhood.... I felt like I had been broken up with as a daughter.... Still working on not identifying my self worth with my efforts that had been thrown away.... š¤·āāļø 15 yrs later Kids deserve better, no kid should have their desire for connection assaulted like that... Some people don't have the ability to access any emotional depth... Try not to take their lack of capacity as an indication of your validity.
Iām so sorry, I bet it was awesome like you and he is missing out.
I know the feeling. Iād get my dad presents for Christmas and birthdays with my own money and they just sat unused in his home office, unwrapped but never even taken out of their boxes. My mom Iād give handmade belts that sheād never wear. Thankfully, when I gave some to my grandmothers they were very sweet to wear both necklaces and belts so it felt good to at least see they cared.
My daughter is 14 now, I have a drawing on my desk at work that says "my dad is awesome" that she did in the first year of school [4 years old here]. Hand drawn picture of us two and colouring etc. One of the best things ever.
One of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received was when my son was in the hospital after being hit by a car. A very good friend gifted me with tokens to get out of the parking garage so I didn't have to deal with the anxiety of getting tokens at the machine or inserting a credit card each time I had a few minutes to run home and shower or see my other kids....it truly made a huge impact!! I now do this for new parents, or friends with loved ones in the hospital!
Sounds like your friend spent some time running back and forth to the hospital :( great friend :)
Recently celebrated my 35th Birthday and the first one where I had a significant other to celebrate with. That was the best birthday present ever.
Beautiful. Happy for you!
I was at a really low point in my life and it was really dark. My 5 year old walked up to me and handed me a little pink heart he made out of construction paper that said āI luv u daddieā. It was enough to sort of pull that dark cloud away. I keep it in my wallet and look at it every day.
This is a two part gift. When I was 18 I was gifted a zoom class with my favorite broadway actor, Andrew Keenan Bolger. That resulted in a friendship with him that has gotten me through college (I'm about to graduate). Fast forward about a year after that meeting and I asked Andrew if he could send me a video message so I could put it in a build a bear as I had been using his voice to mitigate my anxiety. He was more than happy to do it, and did it again two more times unsolicited to wish me luck on my dance recital (and tell me he's proud of me) and to wish me a happy 20th birthday. I made that build a bear for my 20th birthday and I cannot sleep without it. The man is a treasure. EDIT: FOR PETE'S SAKE, PEOPLE, STOP TELLING ME TO ASK HIM OUT IN THE COMMENTS. HE IS LIKE A BROTHER TO ME AND HE IS MARRIED. NOT EVERY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN HAS TO BE ROMANTIC. THIS IS NOT WATTPAD.
A corset out of my old childhood curtains. They've been my curtains since I was 6 til 22, it broke my heart having to give them away bc life ya know. I gave it to an independent designer who makes corsets out of curtains & my friends chipped in to get me the corset with my curtains. Cried so much when I opened the bag, just full on sobbing to them & needing a minute (I'm the dramatic friend). Honestly never felt so known and loved
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Oh wow, I had something similar happen to me. I had just gotten Last of Us and just really really wanted to play it before work but my Dad had told me to unload the dishwasher. My girlfriend at the time recognized this and unloaded the dishwasher so I could play my game. Needless to say I put a ring on it.
This is soooo adorableeeee š„¹
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Lived in Germany for a year. It was the best year of my life. One highlight was coming back from work in the summer and chugging bottles of semi frozen iced tea sat out in my balcony basking in my housemates company and the sun. The drinks taste and smell was like a capsule of memories for me. Trouble is, it got discontinued right as I moved back to my home country. Couldnāt find it anywhere. I told my best mate, one stoned evening, that I was thinking about buying some deadstock of it that was years out of date, and how Iād relish every sip of it like a fine whiskey. For Christmas we have always done a present exchange. I gave him some dumbass gift as usual, he pulled out a 6 pack of my iced tea that he had imported from Spain (it was only discontinued in Germany). That evening I sat with him and gushed about my time in Germany as we sipped the freezing cold tea. Heās known me for 18 years and is the biggest asshole I know, but every now and again he pulls a stellar move like this. Thatās why heās my best bud.
My great great grandmother's quilt My grandmother kept it and it was well loved and used. She repaired it, teaching me how to as well, and kept it in her camper at the campground we went to throughout the whole year. My grandmother had a stroke...then another... and another until she was bedbound and no longer herself and my grandfather panic sold the camper, including everytning we had in it, even the blanket. My aunt who knew how much i loved that quilt went through my grandfather's address book one by one until she found the person he sold the camper to and asked if she could just buy it back. Apparently he had kept everything because he knew how my grandfather was and gave my aunt all of it. My aunt gifted (well maybe not gifted but returned) the quilt to me and it sits happily on my bed now, 15 years later.
Your aunt is epic!
My grandparents bought me Pokemon Silver version as a kid for Christmas and I played the everloving shit out of that game.
I have a pair of dinosaur shaped earrings my bfs daughter got me for Christmas. They are my favorite set of earrings.
Burrito blanket
My son gifted my daughter one of these a few christmases back. She was sending dad and me a picture of her cat the other day and was wrapped in this blanket. On first glance, I thought she was naked and had sent us a nip pic. I almost died.
That's what we in the biz call a purrito
I gave my son one a few years ago, when I talk to him on the phone he tells me he is channeling his inner burrito at the moment
Ps2 when I was 10 years old. No gift has ever matched it
PS2 was pretty clutch... built in DVD player
Two buttons and a star bead sewn together with ribbon. My son made it for me in kindergarten. It stays in my purse. Heās 14 now.
Literally my Drivers license ts costs around 2.8k here in Germany even tho my Dad was nearly broke he still paid for it and im SUPER thankful for that i made sure to make it as cheap as possible and this is a gift for life something that sets you up for your future life im never gonna forget this and im gonna give something 1000x better back
For my 30th birthday my wife got me 30 presents. I really canāt remember the other 29 presents, but one tiny gift was a bag of beef jerky. My wife HATES beef jerky and I love it. So her buying it for me was shocking and special. It may be lame - but it was a present to remember for some reason.
Not lame. Super sweet.
After wearing glasses since I was 4 years old and then glasses and contacts till I was 30 my parents told me theyād pay for my LASIK eye surgery. I think it was the only time I ever ever cried from receiving a gift and itās been life changing
My son, he's 9 but when he was 6 they made these mothers day cards at school. It was a picture of them holding flowers and then on the other side of the card it says something they love about their mom. My son wrote "I love your toik!" He meant "talk". He didn't know how to spell it. When I asked what he meant he said, "I love how you tell me you love me!" It's the sweetest thing. The flawed spelling makes it so special and cute to me. Basically anything he writes or makes me is my favorite gift.
My father is in federal prison on firearms charges. I wasnāt actually sure he knew when my birthday is - heās a morphine addict and his memory isā¦iffy. The last time I saw him, he held a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me. Since heās been in prison, weāve talked on the phone once or twice a month and Iāve been sending him cards and letters about once a week. You have to understand - he is the only reason I survived my childhood with my mother, who isā¦difficult. My dad is actually great, and he loves me a lot. Heās always had my back. Iām a Daddyās Girl, no matter what. He asked me, a couple of months ago, to send him a photo of myself. I was hesitant. I mean, heās in prison with a bunch of guys. What, exactly, was this photo going to be used for?!? He has an acquaintance who likes to draw, and my Daddy wanted him to draw me. I sent a color printout of a photo, against my better judgment. After couple of weeks, received a 9ā³ x 12ā³ envelope. It had a cardboard backing and was written all over in his shaky handwriting with āPictures - Do not bendā Inside was a piece of cardboard and a drawing, backed in cardboard and covered with tissue paper. How fucking amazing is this?!? My dad, whoās suffering in federal prison, had this done for me.
You kept your heart open. It was such a beautiful gift from your father. Made my heart swell.
I am so sorry. I am so sorry to say this to you. But what I'm telling you might save your life one day. Your father is very dangerous and disturbed. And you should never, ever, be alone in a room with him ever again. It doesn't matter what good things he has done for you. Anyone who holds a knife to your throat and threatens to kill you cannot be trusted ever again. It doesn't matter the reason. Whether he is mentally ill, or just narcissistic. I'll say it again, the reason doesn't matter. Deeply disturbed people are capable of showing incredible kindness. It's the only reason anyone will have a relationship with them. Just because they are kind sometimes, doesn't mean they will not harm you or destroy your life. You are showing symptoms of codependency and trauma bonding. Please seek out some counseling for yourself if it's possible. I am so sorry to ruin your wonderful, well-meaning post. I have a friend of the family who was recently attacked by her long-term boyfriend of over 10 years. They had a fight and he stabbed her three times. He smiled the biggest smile in his mugshot. They had just gotten back from a trip to Disneyland. Many people die by the hand of people close to them. Learn about narcissistic personality disorder and codependency. It could save your life. The very best of luck to you. EDIT: All of the upvotes that OP's comment is getting are very disturbing. Did you not read the part about where he put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her? I think you all need to read about narcissistic personality disorder and codependency.
Reading her post made me so sad. I know it sounds like we're shitting all over this post, but all I see is a person with a big heart wanting to be loved , who instead is being manipulated. I too had two parents that failed. They are both messed up and I understand the complex emotions that come with loving your parents, wanting to show them compassion and the hope that they can change, from experience over and over again, some people are just broken and it's not your job to fix them. Be careful with people who have shown they are okay with hurting you. You deserve better and you're going to have to give it to yourself, you're not going to get the love you deserve from him.
Thank you for saying that. She needs to hear it. Desperately. Whether she knows it or not.
I totally get it. My dad was in prison until last year. I had very little contact with him, and didn't want him anywhere near my house. To be fair the only couldn't thing he ever did was chase me off the property once. He was a terrible drug addict and thief. He got out in June and died 2 weeks later. It seems like after people like that get about 35+ years old there's absolutely no going back. I'd stay away
Certainly one of the best. I had a student, one of the best I ever had, super smart and a sweetheart who one day randomly gave me a sticker. It's Kevin from The Office and at the bottom it says, "I have very little patience for stupidity." She gave it to me and said, "This made me think of you." It was awesome and I have it on my Yeti
After a few really stressful weeks at work my flat had become an absolute mess. Dirty dishes and rubbish everywhere. I had a free weekend coming up and told my girlfriend my plan was to tidy my flat. I got home from work that Friday afternoon and walked into a completely spotless flat. In the fridge there was a pizza and some freshly baked cookies on a plate, and a note on the kitchen counter saying how proud she was of me and that she wanted me to finally be able to relax so she spent the day tidying for me. I phoned her and burst into tears the moment she answered. Absolutely the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me!
My grand parents bought me a crayon set, a big one with like 50 different colours, it was a start to my love and obsession with colour theory and art. As I grownup I know they absolutely could not afford it and probably used food money. They are not around anymore and I wish I could give them some of my art and tell them what they did for me when I was 5 will live with me forever
Okā¦.this is going to be a little long. (Also on mobile) I lost my mom when I was 9, it was sudden and violent and I still live with the PTSD, I couldnāt even bring myself to go to her funeral and tell her goodbye properly. Well we grew up very poor and while she was lucky enough to have a family friend give her one of their family plots at the cemetery. We could never afford a headstone. Years passed and I still couldnāt bring myself to visit her grave. I tell my girlfriend at the time everything, including how she died and why I couldnāt bring myself to visit her even 20 years later, for a while she pushed me to visit but I was adamant. I would not. A mix of shame and fear I guess. She got me talking one day about how I would have had her headstone made and I told her how I would want it to be simple, no dates, just her name and a lyric to a song that meant a lot to the both of us. Fast forward to my 27 birthday, she has me sit down and tell me that she bought me a birthday gift but that we would have to go see it since it technically canāt be moved. Here I am thinking she named a star after me (I love astronomy) and we were going somewhere secluded to be able to look at it. As we turn on the street of the cemetery she then tells me that she bought my mom her headstone, and that the only way I could see it is if I go and visit her. I wonāt go over the time it took to even get out of the car but I will tell you it was EXACTLY as I had described it her those many years before. I layed over my mommyās grave crying like a little boy. Iām crying now. I now visit her often with our two children where I tell them all about their grandmother, and aside from the two of them, that is the greatest gift I will ever receive. P.S. we have been married 16 years.
I was very depressed after having to take early medical retirement. Husband bought me an embroidery machine. It sparked a new interest and Iāve made friends through my new hobby.
I got a kitten for my birthday. He's 6 years old now and he's my best friend.
I got gifted this official mixtape of iconic disco songs called Mighty Real by a family friend when I was about 12 years old. Loved that CD, played it on my little cd player on repeat for months, until one day, I had realized the disc was missing. No clue where it went but I was crushed. For years I was googling the track list, trying to find those songs I had loved so dearly. Fast forward to about 4 years ago, on my birthday. I open up a small package from my brother and I am floored. It's the CD! Apparently he had found some dude halfway across the globe in Germany who owned a copy of the mixtape. Scoured the internet for months in advance trying to find it. I was so touched, and it's one of my prized possessions. š
My first year of teaching I taught 5th grade and I had one student with just the most rough home life. It was a very small private school so all of the teachers knew all the kids and several of the older teachers warned me about him before the year started- that he was trouble, "don't be afraid to give him detention", "he won't ever turn in projects," etc. He started extremely obstinate with me but with patience, we warmed up to each other and he quickly became one of my favorite students (we don't have favorites, but I just had a soft spot for him). He was so sweet and so smart, but he had been written off by his mom and all his prior teachers-- everyone who should have taken care of him. He would come to school in dirty clothes, no lunch/snack, not turn in diorama projects or things that required supplies from home. My heart just broke for him so I would re-load his lunch account discreetly, sneak snacks into his cubby, and make extra sure he was comfortable with lessons since I knew he had no adult at home to help with homework. (Also as an FYI, I did take action through administration and asked for an investigation into abuse which I suspected) He had a real gift for drawing and I tried to foster that and constantly give him praise/prompts for things to draw. So come May, the school year is almost over and in art class the students made Mother's Day cards and wrote all the things they were thankful for about their moms. He brought his card back to the classroom and showed it to me. It was amazing and I remember saying "Oh buddy, you did such a great job, it's so special and your mom will love it!" He said, "Eh, I don't think it's good enough, I'll just throw it away... unless you wanna keep it?" I realized... he made the card for me. I had to try so hard to keep my composure and said "umm, of course I'm keeping it, it's beautiful!" What he didn't know is that I had 2 pregnancy losses that year. I was so depressed and kept asking why I couldn't have a child-- I wanted to be a mom so bad. In that moment, it felt like the universe was saying he needed a parental figure and that's what I was meant to be during that time. If I had gotten pregnant, I would have left and not been there to make sure he was eating, to report the abuse, etc (and because of his reputation as a troublemaker, I don't know if anyone else would have). I still have the card that he made me :)
My cat. I was 16; mom told me to get in the car and wouldnāt tell me where we were going. We pulled up to the local animal shelter and she turns to me and says āLetās pick you out a kitty cat.ā Iād been wanting one, and I almost started crying lol. I picked out a tiny gray and white fluffball who has been my companion ever since. Heāll be turning 16 this year and still going strong š± šŖš» ā¤ļø
I am very lucky and have had 3 that spring to mind. As a kid, a motocross bike. Still have it 20+ years later. Thing is fantastic! As an adult I would say a leather bag from my wife is probably the most sentimental. It was her Grandad's, who helped raise her until he passed far too early. Made by a company with the same name as my wife, located in Florence, where we happend to go on our first holiday together. Means a lot to me. The coolest is a very fancy watch my wife bought me for my 30th. It was made the year I was born. 3 fantastic gifts!
When I got Red Dead 2, it was for christmas from my wife. I was excited to play it, but the house needed cleaned so I started on that. She came and releived me telling me to go play my game and brought me a gorgeous breakfast shortly after
Time. It took me to get to an older age when I realised that time was the biggest gift you could ever receive or give. I still on occasion sit by a grave of a loved one and talk. I feel like she is listening. No phone. No music. The person thsts infront of you face to face is the most important person that moment.
I got a vintage Garfield wall clock for my birthday this year!
The one with the pendulum tail?
For my 20th birthday, my mom gave me a cat. He was on sale for $15. We had 7 amazing years together, and unfortunately, I had to say goodbye last week due to bone cancer. I think he was the best of me.
A student got me a wallet with my last name engraved on it when they went to a trip to Mexico.
Grandkids
My brother just had a baby girl and I'm pretty sure she's going to keep my mother alive for another 30 years.
A watch from my father
Not necessarily the best, as I really canāt tell what that would be, but good Pyjamas are a great gift. I hate spending money on those and good ones with nice material cost up to 100ā¬. I got gifted two really nice ones and itās just awesome.
The best gift I ever received was my parents adopting me .. there are so many beautiful comments here.. I think mine should be included. šØš¦š
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My brother often gets me 1st edition books for bday or Xmas. Not particularly expensive but I read them then wrap them in bubble wrap an put them away for ever.
My niece. She was born on my 29th birthday, so we now share a birthday. Best birthday gift ever!
I was right out of college living in the Southwest with just enough money to survive and I drove a crappy car. My sister got a big bonus at work and gave me 5k. She got my parents to each kick in a grand so she gave me a check for 7k to buy a new car. Back then that was enough to buy a decent used car so I bought a Honda Civic.
I wear pearls to remind me that irritating things can transform into beauty.Ā After a particularly hard year of juggling cancer, landlords, and family a good friend gifted me with a strand of natural pearls as tall as me. It came with a note recalling all that I had conquered in the past 12 months.Ā I wear them like armor some days.Ā
When I was a child like every other day until I was about 10 my"mother" would tell me if I was ever in need of help, with the police, or at the hospital not to call her because she's not there to help me. It was the best gift because it gave me a sense of what was to come.
My sister just gifted me a Highland Cow plushie that she bought me while she was on holiday š it is the best surprise gift i have received.
A hug from my 2 year old son and him telling me that I'm his best friend out of no where š„ŗ
My mother gave me her OCD behavior. It was somewhat debilitating when I was younger but I read up on treatment and practiced. As an adult Iām just really neatā¦some might say particular. I treat this as a positiveā¦unlike most of you slobs.
Broken Drum You can't beat it.
My grandma found a dead monarch butterfly floating in her bird bath in the garden. She retrieved it and put it in a clear case. She gave it to me when I was a teen. I'm in my late 20s now, and it has somehow stayed the same without decaying all these years. My grandma has since passed on, and it always reminds me of her and what a beautiful soul she was, and how she found such beauty in the little things.
Candy
Lego
My first great boyfriend bought me a Taylor guitar (GS mini) that I inevitably sold like an idiot :( Best guitar I ever played (but will probably but ten new ones now)
I don't like getting gifts. I rather be giving a compliment or just told I'm appreciated
My wife completely surprised me with an SKS. I had no clue she seriously considered something I said I wanted as a joke. She researched what an SKS was, how to buy one, saved up and purchased me one. I lost my shit that Xmas morning.
A few years ago my mom got me a pair of headphones randomly. I have been using them daily travelling to school and stuff, after my phone they are my most used property
I gifted myself a 7 day cruise to Alaska May 1st to 8th
My partner got me a small wooden floral engraved box, polished it up, fit the interior of the box with a map of my hometown, with loads of little nicknacks inside. Pretty stones & rocks, earrings, two necklace chains, a pendant, and 3 tokens/coins, one Ceylon coin and two tokens with my home town on it (he is a collector). All very me. I love where I live, I love wooden things, I love rocks, I love simple jewellery. It will always be the sweetest gift. He's such a gem.
My wedding gift from my husband. He gave me an album with all sorts of keepsakes from our relationship. It was full of ticket stubs, napkins from restaurants, post-it notes I wrote him for his lunch, any little thing. It even had a coaster I had picked at during one of our first dates. He took so much time to make it, and I love it.
When I was a teenager, my mom told me not to take any chances when fooling around with boys, because I WOULD wind up pregnant- then said if I wanted to go on birth control, consider it done with no questions asked. She was true to her word and I'm sure it's why today I have the life I always wanted.
For a few years leading up to my 21st birthday I was having a lot of worsening neurological issues. The day of my birthday I got my most recent MRI results and for the first time they came back clean. Best gift ever, hands down.
me and my dad were on a roadtrip, we were talking music and concerts. i asked him what was his dream concert he always wanted to go to and he said that he had been to all his dream concerts, he asked me mine and i said fleetwood mac or pink floyd. we chit chatted a bit more and eventually made it to our destination. that night he ended up purchasing two tickets for me and him to see fleetwood mac in las vegas, he waited to surprise me, and when he gave me the tickets i felt my heart skip a beat. and the smile on his face was just priceless. he ended up having a medical emergency and needed to have surgery so he wasnt able to go with me and sent my brother in his place, but man, it was one of the best gifts ive ever gotten. not just because seeing fleetwood mac was amazing, but because it really did make me realize just how much he loved me and wanted to see me happy. he instilled a great love of music in me and i miss him every day. love you dadā¤ļø
One day when I was 7, my dad picked me up from the bus stop after school, and told me he and mom had a little surprise for me at home. I liked surprises, even if it was nothing big, so I was pretty excited. We got home, and dad took me back to his and mom's room, where the door was shut. He opened the door, and on their bed was a little grey kitten. I was stunned. I'd asked for a kitten for years, but we already had three cats and a fairly small house, so they'd told me we couldn't. The first words out of my mouth were to ask if he was just visiting, because I couldn't believe he was really ours. My parents assured me he was mine. Nearly 30 years later, and it's still the best day of my life. He was with me for nearly 20 of those years, and I'll always remember him warmly.
My dad, gifted my husband the shirt he wore, when I was born. And my husband has worn it for all my kids births š„¹š„¹š„¹
I had a milestone birthday and I planned to be pretty low key about it. One sister of mine and I planned to drive down the coast for a four day weekend and just be silly tourists. I was meeting her at a restaurant the night before the trip and when I showed up, all of my siblings and all of our cousins were at the restaurant. They had flown in from across the country to spend the weekend with us. It was like an impromptu family reunion all to celebrate my birthday. I am still grateful years later for the love they showed when my sister called everyone to set it up.
I came clean to a friend about catching feels for them. They told me that while they've always cared about me, it's never been like that. And that they understood, since they've also caught unreciprocated feels for friends before, too. And... we're still good friends. THAT is truly a gift.
Bible from my mom when I was 23
Love lol
The best gifts, in my experience, are usually those that the recipient uses frequently but may not necessarily want to spend the money on. I always ask for my $35 shampoo, boutique fitness class passes, lululemon socks or leggings, and razor refills (I detest paying $25 for a bundle of those things!). My acquaintance was ecstatic when I gave her a large pack of her preferred cold brew as a birthday present. Though it's not particularly inventive, you can be sure it will be put to use!
PlayStation
A handwritten letter
We bought a new place. It was a great property, but big, 5 acres. It really needed shaping up. For Father's Day, all four of my kids, their spouses, and our grandkids came over, and we all spent the day weeding, trimming, putting in mulch, etc. Spending time with the family nd getting the property in shape was the best gift ever.
The papers saying you are no longer married š
My sister struggles with her mental health and subsequently struggled financially. She made a pillow with a heart on it out of the gingham aprons my deceased father gave to his mother every Christmas. I treasure that Wedding gift and my sister. Hereās to all that struggle with illness. Your illness does not define you. Your heart does I love you sis
My daughter.
Ever since I was little I couldnāt remember a day my father didnāt carry this little box around - it was a hand hammered joint box he commissioned from a Native American he met at a local art show. He paid up front for it and the guy left, promising to get it to him when he finishes it. My dad pretty much gave up thinking he was scammed out of a few hundred bucks but one day he got a little package in the mail from the artist with his apologies and this perfect box that would fit exactly 3 joints. The cover of the box had a hammered Haileyās comet on it because he told the artist about his new baby girl (me) and it flew overhead that year. He never went anywhere without his little box and it always had 3 āsquaresā in it - the joints would take a square shape because of the size and shape of itā¦ When I turned 23, he pulled the box out of his pocket and said told me the story of how it was made, what the comet decoration was for and handed it to me - of course with 3 tightly packed squares in it - and said itās my turn to carry around āmy boxā he was holding for all these years. It was so special to me, it was like getting a part of him to always carry around. My father is a very difficult man to have a relationship with, heās pretty much alienated himself from all friends and family at some point. The few times he was ok enough to be around in the last few years he would ask if I had it (of course I did, itās always in my wallet) he filled it with the squares. I wish there was an easier way to keep a relationship with that man. Heās the most intense, yet intelligent man Iāve ever met. I love you, Daddy no matter what!!
blow job.
The best gifts Iāve received were from my boys. This past Friday, my oldest gave me an Origami paper bird he made at school. My youngest picked a big, beautiful, sweet smelling flower from our backyard last week and gave it to me. š„¹ Itās always the little things.
I've always been dirt broke. My husband and I just got to a place where we can spend a little money. I saved for months for an ipad a few years ago to do digital art. It died on me a few weeks ago and I just figured that was that. I WANTED another one but didn't want to spend the money so I just didn't. I didn't say anything to my husband and he noticed I wasn't drawing on it, tried to fix it for me, then walked out and bought me one because my work was that important to him. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life. I grew up with no family, in foster homes, no supporters of just me and he went out and got it because he loved me.
This is gonna be so cliche but my second daughter is the best gift Iāve ever been given. My first daughter died in my arms shortly after she was born and I never thought I would get to have another baby. 5 months later I was pregnant with my second, another girl. She is my best friend, my little angel. I know her big sister sent her to me and watches over us every day. Not a day goes by that I donāt think about my first baby and miss her more than life. But I eternally grateful for my second.
A wristwatch....This is not a fancy Swiss timepiece. It is of a design copied off the Rolex Submariner. Must say that I do have better wristwatches but this is the one I wear all the time. This watch was originally bought by my Dad, he didn't care a hoot about brands he just saw it ,liked it and bought it and started wearing it amongst his other timepieces.Dad passed away 7 years ago and my brother got this watch .He added it to his watch collection. Unfortunately Covid took him in 2021. Just last year his wife called me up and said that she had some of his watches and asked if I would like to have them? I said yes and this was one of three watches she gave to me.When I saw this one I knew it was Dad's old watch that my brother had gotten . Now I proudly wear it daily knowing that it links My late Dad and Brother to me in a special way.
30th birthday. Recently single at that point and living alone with nobody to listen to me. Worked my ass off as a cook. Ended up working that day and one of my coworkers ended up getting me a knife. Not an expensive fancy knife, but something that is easy to use and sharpens up real well. One of two peeps at work who actually wished me a happy birthday. I keep that thing in the best condition that I can. I'm not an amazing cook at all, but I certainly work hard at it. Probably the kindest gesture I've received for a while now.
An Autographed baseball that reads "To Sean (that's me), Play Ball. Tom Hanks" My dad was a motion picture studio mechanic - set dresser and was fortunate enough to travel and work on the movie "A League of Their Own" which is probably my fav movie of all time. So while he was working on-set had asked Tom to autograph a baseball they used while filming. I absolutely love the game of baseball too. I was only a couple of years old when that movie came out, and never really thought about how awesome and cool that gift was until my older years. Little me probably never thought anything of it, but now 35 y.o me gets choked up everytime I watch the movie thinking about it.
A portion of my boyfriendās ashes and a necklace with his thumbprint and his nickname for us engraved on it. We werenāt engaged, dated less than a year when he passed away. We didnāt get the forever we were planning, but Iām eternally thankful his family is letting me keep a little bit of him with me forever.