How do you really feel when someone gives you a gift, stating that they gave to instead to a charity, in your name?
- Awesome, I didn’t get you anything either!
- oh… thanks… with slight disappointment.
- Good for you for donating. It really doesn’t mean much to me that it’s in my name.
- Rather than you being the better person this year, why didn’t you tell me about the cause so I could’ve donated as well?
Other thoughts?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think we say "I made the donation in your name" so we can still call it a gift. It is still culturally taboo to give no gift. I'm speaking of Christmas only, of course. I prefer to just through out the, "Instead of gifts we …" Last year I showed a DVD I got from Living Water International, that showed kids playing in a brand water well. Nobody complains about not getting a cheap gift after seeing that.
awesome Jeremy, yeah, the accompanying dvd can definitely help. we're thinking of including maybe an interesting fact sheet to friends outside of church…
it is definitely still culturally taboo to not give gifts… i wonder when we'll ever get over that… or if we just just do something in the face of that anyways…