I think back on the times when I received something from a great giver (and luckily, I have had quite a few of those in my life) and I wonder what makes a person a great giver?

A great giver gives from the heart.

This person’s superpower is generosity. This generosity is not based on amount, value, or quantity; it is based on a giving heart and giving spirit.

Thoughtful caring is a hallmark of the great giver, their gifts are imbued with attention to detail and an instinct for what the intended receiver may enjoy. Their gifts are not afterthoughts, re-gifts, or driven by duty or occasion. The great giver’s gifts have a quality of “rightness".”

Gifts from a great giver delight and surprise.

They can be fleeting or enduring; However, the act itself - the act of giving - is almost, if not more important than the item itself. It is the spirit of the giver that is saying: I see you. I know you. Here is my gift to you that was specially, carefully, and thoughtfully selected by me for you. A great giver devotes time to giving…and time is the greatest gift of all.

There are many things I strive for in life, in my daily life. One is to be a great giver, this would please me to no end. I want my gifts to bring enormous joy to the receiver and I want them to know that it meant a great deal to me to be able to gift them something. Whether it is a homemade pound cake or salsa, or a ritzy gift from Neiman’s, it doesn’t matter…the gift is imbued with my time, love, and hope that it will be part of me, lingering in the receiver’s life.