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As you know, I’m always talking about creating and giving unique gifts. I absolutely love hearing and sharing ideas about standout gifts that someone will keep or remember forever.

You’ve probably heard me say that these kinds of gifts bring just as much joy to the giver as to the recipient. You’ve probably heard me say these kinds of gifts connect people in a deep way. That they strengthen relationships. It’s also likely that you’ve heard me say how dang much fun it is to create these gifts.

Well, I’ve heard myself say all of this. Over and over. And you know what? I NEVER get tired of the experience.

Last week I had an ongoing giving-receiving-giving gift experience that I call “A circle of giving.” It’s the perfect example of why these kinds of creative gifts are so transformative.

Here’s what this one looked like. (Although it doesn’t look like a circle the way I’ve written out — it feels like one to me in that the love just keeps spinning round and round!)

  • I saw a bunch of folks posting on Day 1 of #the100dayproject. I was so inspired by their commitment and willingness. I decided to jump in and create #100daysofgreat gifts.
  • On Day 1, I posted the idea to interview someone’s child or children as a gift.
  • My friend, Roberta, saw the idea and asked if she could include it in an article she was writing. She tagged me on the posted article and I saw that she’d written about single moms and how hard Mother’s Day can be on them.
  • Roberta’s article touched me so much that I wrote a blog post asking folks to please reach out and do something special for anyone they knew who might be grieving or sad on Mother’s Day.
  • After writing that piece, I messaged Roberta and asked if she’d let me interview her 12-year-old son as a gift to her.
  • Roberta said “Yes,” she’d love for me to interview her son. And that she was inspired to do a video interview of one of her son’s friends, talking all about why she loved her mom. Roberta said she cried when she watched the video afterward. She couldn’t wait to give that interview video to her friend.
  • I got on the phone with Roberta’s son and had a blast interviewing him. He was sweet, thoughtful, funny, and so articulate about his mom. A couple times I nearly burst into tears. (But I thought that might be kind of weird for a 12-year-old boy, so I waited ’til the interview was over to get all emotional!)
  • After interviewing Roberta’s son, I was so hyped up with joy. I told my own son’s dad (Bob) what a great experience it was and how excited I was for Roberta to hear the interview. I was holding the sheet of questions I had used. On a whim, I said, “Would you be willing to interview Kayne?”
  • Bob did interview Kayne. And on Mother’s Day I opened up this little teeny wrapped package — it was a thumb-drive. When I listened to the interview I laughed out loud + I also got weepy. It was perfect. Bob had captured the moment in time exactly. Can you imagine having your teenage son sharing thoughts + stories + jokes about you? Hee hee.
  • Not only will I treasure this audio gift forever, I will also treasure the experience of interviewing Roberta’s son. AND I treasure the whole circle of love that inspired those interviews to happen.

Cheerio,

Sherry

 

P.S. Here are two quotes from Ian, the wonderful 12-year-old whom I interviewed last week for his mom: “She’s an amazing mom and always supports me and helps me as I’m growing up. Once I was sick the entire night and she stayed awake and she was with me the whole time.” And this one:  “If she were an animal I think she’d be a koala because she is all snuggly and she has a big nose like a koala.”

P.P.S. After reading those quotes from Roberta’s son, don’t you want to interview someone’s child or children as a gift for them? Who would you do this for? Put it on your calendar to do this!!! (And afterward, let me know how it went!)