A Gift’s Value

A gift’s value is in the way it makes and reaffirms bonds between people. It’s an expression of a relationship. This isn’t to say that the cost of a gift doesn’t matter, but it certainly isn’t the most important thing about the gift. When I give you a gift, I’m not just giving you a gift; I’m giving you something of myself.

The silly gifts our kids give us when they’re young mean the world to us because we know that it’s not the thing itself that matters, and not even the thought that counts, but the affirmation, unspoken but fundamental to every gift, that you matter to the child,…