When you’re looking for romantic ideas and gifts, the pressure is never greater than when the occasion is drawing near and you still don’t have even a simple idea of what to do. A little help please! Here’s a primer on coming up with really good romantic ideas and gifts, but also some help for all of us to get into the spirit of gift giving. When you’re in the spirit of romance, gift giving is just something fun you do.
DOES THE THOUGHT COUNT?
Hmm. What does that really mean? Well, let’s just emphasize here that the thought counts more and more when you put more time and thought into the gift and when romantic ideas and gifts don’t always come in packages and when gifts don’t always come on occasions.
Not only are romantic ideas and gifts made of thought, they are made of you. A gift is more than a purchase to fulfill an obligation on an occasion. A gift tells a person that they belong in your life—they belong in your heart. Gifts are not doled out like jelly beans in a kindergarten class—one for you, one for me. Love is lavish. Romance can’t be contained. The more you give, the more you find you have to give.
WATCH, LOOK AND LISTEN!
If you don’t want to panic for the lack of a romantic idea or gift at the thought of another approaching gift-giving occasion, here’s how to be prepared. Learn to watch, look and listen. Take an interest in your lover’s passions, interests and secret desires. Roll them around in your heart and watch for opportunities to involve yourself in your lover’s life and interests with a gift.
- Watch for patterns. What colors does she most often choose in clothing and decorating? They are often different. Is it possible that she would like to break out of that pattern? Ask questions.
- Look for taste. What is her taste in music, literature, entertainment and art? Do your own investigation, not for more of the same but for romantic ideas and gifts which fill in the gaps or compliment what she loves. Again, ask questions.
- Listen for those things that she hasn’t done yet, doesn’t have yet, or can’t do yet. Maybe you can fulfill a long-lived desire. Never stop asking questions. Questions prove to you and your lover that you’re really interested.
“Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store
nor under a tree,
but in the hearts of true friends.” —Cindy Lew
Holly loves candles, light and color. She also loves literature. It’s somewhat difficult for me to give her any kind of literary gift. Her taste is diverse, but really unpredictable. Yet, I do find a wide world of romantic ideas and gifts for her related to her love to fill her life with color and light. I’ve also learned to love to see her life fill with color and light. Her passion for candles and color has also become my passion.
ROMANTIC IDEAS AND GIFTS INVOLVING YOU
What do you do well? Can you show your lover their personal place in your heart through something you love to do or make? Holly and I have received paintings from artist friends. These paintings are some of the most precious things we own. They’re evidence of our friends’ love and we have a piece of their artistic passion in our lives.
Beware, though–this is not a way to involve a person in our lives in a way that they would not ordinarily want to be involved. For example, let’s say you passionately love to golf, but your wife has never shown an interest in golf. You wouldn’t want to buy her a set of clubs because you want her to go golfing with you. That would be an obligation for her, not a gift.
Recently, I became interested in making handbound books. I decided to try my first small book. I made a small collection of my photographs, wrote some poetry for Holly and bound it into a booklet. It was a way to express my love for Holly through my passion for different kinds of art.
PROJECTS ARE PERFECT
Whether purchasing or making a gift, when it’s done as a project that requires some time and planning, such romantic ideas and gifts give your lover your heart.
Recently, for Holly’s birthday, my youngest son and I planned a romantic bath. It’s our tradition that the birthday person gets breakfast in bed. While Holly was enjoying her breakfast, we prepared her bath which had been planned for days. We’d prepared a CD of George Winston piano music, obtained soothing bath salts and oil, a bottle of chilled liebfraumilch, and our son folded a bunch of paper cranes and arranged them to hang over the tub. Of course the bath was ablaze with candles. I kind of wished it was my birthday. Not only did Holly enjoy her romantic bath, my son and I really enjoyed planning it.
BEYOND OCCASION
Really romantic ideas and gifts are never limited to the occasional but are frequent. Holly said recently that men give flowers on Valentines Day because they often don’t give them any other time of year. I thought about that and it’s likely true. Don’t let that be true of you! A romantic writer said that you shouldn’t give roses on Valentines Day, but some other kind of flower simply because roses are what’s expected. Go for the unexpected. Bring home a gift on a day that you wouldn’t ordinarily bring a gift. Your lover belongs in your heart every moment.
BIG THINGS—SMALL PACKAGES
A gift should always be wrapped—but not necessarily in paper. Presentation is everything. You’ve put thought, time and heart into your romantic ideas and gifts. Give with the same romance. Gifts can be wrapped in paper with ribbon or presented over a romantic meal or picnic. They can be a surprise in a brief case, carry on bag, lunch or purse. Better yet, wrap your gift in time by going for a drive or walk or to get a cup of coffee together and then give your gift.
Romantic gifts are a piece of you. The more you give, the more you discover you have to give.
“A gift – be it a present,
a kind word or a job done with care and love -
explains itself!…
and if receivin’ it embarrasses you,
it’s because your ‘thanks box’ is warped.” —Alice Childress
GRACIOUS RECEPTIONS
The best givers are always great receivers. You learn to give lavish romantic gifts. Learn as well to receive lavishly. People love to give to people who graciously and exuberantly receive. If you’re tempted to say, You shouldn’t have!, hold your breath and count to ten. Then say, Wow! Gosh! You’re the Best! Thanks! Hugs and more hugs. OK?
Yours along TheRomanticWay!
Rod & Holly
