gifts

I never really thought that "receiving gifts" would be on the high end of my love languages. Giving gifts, sure. That is totally one of my love languages as far as showing love. I absolutely love to give gifts, and I try to get really creative with them. Sometimes I have a really hard time getting creative, and that can be really frustrating. But most of the time, I LOVE to give gifts. However, until recently, I never really thought I was much for receiving them. Granted, I like them, but they're not what speak volumes to me as far as feeling loved. Or so I thought...

I have three examples of how this thought has recently been changed. Granted, two of them happened in the past, but just came to mind recently, and really made me rethink how much gifts really mean to me.

Example one:

When I was a freshman in college, I had a friend named Colin. He was a bit older than I was - a senior - but was friends with some of my friends, therefore, giving us an odd sort of friendship. I can remember one day, sitting on a ratty old couch in the art building, facing this gigantic picture window that overlooked a courtyard. It was raining - gray, dreary, and drippy - not as exciting as a thunderstorm. I began to tell Colin about my fascination with thunderstorms and tornados. I told him that as a little kid, I even had my own weather station which was ironically situated in a tree. I told him there weren't a lot of things in life that energized me more than a good thunderstorm, and nothing better to listen to when falling asleep. He listened to my laments about our lack of thunderstorms, and how I missed having that sound to fall asleep to. The rain didn't turn into a thunderstorm that day, and I couldn't even hear a faint patter of raindrops on the roof of my dorm because I was on the first floor. The next day, I ran into Colin in the cafeteria. He handed me a tape. I asked him waht was on it as it had no label, and he simply said, "Just listen to it... But you have to wait until you're getting ready to go to bed." I had just finished brushing my teeth, and was about to crawl into bed when I remembered the tape. I stuck it in my stereo, and was met by loud cracks and booms. A thunderstorm. Colin had made a tape of thunderstorm sounds for me to fall asleep to. I had never received a gift like that from anyone - no one had ever cared to take something so simplistic and small, yet so meaningful to me, and packaged it in a small gift to bring great amounts of joy. That gift meant the world to me.

Example two:
I'm not sure how many years ago this conversation happened, but it had to be at least 10 years ago. My mom was driving my brother either to or from Judson, and I, as usual, was riding along. Kelly and I got into a conversation about what we think might make a cool band name - you know, if we were to ever start one. He came up with the name "Throwing Exacto." There is a company on Rt. 31 called "Exacto" which is where he got the idea for the name. I however, being 14, came up with a brilliant name. "Silver's Myth" Wow. How creative am I? Man, what a sucky name. I actually had been reading my bible and came across the word "silversmith" and thought I'd play on that word... Anyway, one Christmas, my brother decided that he'd take the name I had created and write a poem with the same title. He wrote the poem, and then found a picture of us when we were little, and put the picture and poem side by side in a frame. I remember when I opened it, being completely shocked by what my brother had given me. Not only had he remembered the name I came up with, he had used it to create a gift for me, one that expressed his love for me as his sister. Tears came to my eyes. To this day, it is by far my most cherished gift.

Example three:
The other night, I had one of the greatest musical experiences I've had to this date (although, Sigur Ros is coming in May... that may end up being a hard act to compete with). I went to the Coldplay concert. Back in January, I was chatting with EBrown about going to the Coldplay concert. I have never seen them, but have always wanted to. They're one of my all-time favorite bands, and I was thinking they'd put on a pretty slick show. Well, one night, I was talking to EBrown on the phone, and she told me that she had gotten me tickets for my birthday/graduation. I felt as though I would burst with joy, I was so excited. No one has ever purchased me concert tickets before (I don't think... if you have, and I've forgotten, my DEEPEST apologies), and especially not to Coldplay. I felt so loved! And how fun to be attending the concert with another fellow Coldplay lover! I'm so grateful to EBrown for such an awesome gift.

Now, I don't mean to say that I haven't received other cool gifts in the past. I have! For sure! And people have been creative before, giving me things that really catered to my interest. My friend SCataldo got me an AMAZING book for my birthday one year (which I think cost her an arm and a leg) that I was so SO excited about. But even though I have received such cool gifts, like I said, until just a few days ago, I didn't think I could have claimed "receiving gifts" as being high on my love language list. I am all about time spent. So maybe it's the combination between time spent AND gift giving that makes the gift giving so special... you know? Time spent listening to my long story about thunderstorms and making a tape of thunderstorm sounds, time spent writing a poem, and time spent with me at a concert. The gifts of going out for dinner, out to coffee, and on road trips... Those are the greatest gifts... and what make me feel most loved.

Love languages are interesting, hey?