In the spirit of giving, we asked our freelance staff to share: What is one of the greatest gifts you’ve ever given or have received? Here’s what they said…
“A scrapbook that [my husband] Chris’ family gave me at our engagement party that is filled with photos and stories of him as a kid. It also included stories and pictures of him and his dad, who passed away when he was in high school. I am always asking ‘what was Chris like when he was younger?’ so it was the perfect gift.” – Heidi Reuter, freelance photographer
“Having three incredible daughters — they're simply the greatest gifts of my life. But years ago, my eldest brother decided he'd pay all the adoption and medical fees to gift me with the sweetest brindle-colored Basset-coonhound puppy you ever saw. So adorable; his ears hit the floor. I had been afraid of dogs before that, but raising Benny was a cure. What a love. He was a great companion for many years. As for gifting, well, my husband is impossible to buy for. If he wants something, he just gets it himself. Very frustrating. Instead of quitting though, I got creative. One May for his birthday, I gave him a B&B getaway at a historic inn at Gettysburg for a weekend. I set the whole thing up. He loved the inn, walks at the battlefield, the food and all the history.” – Marian Frances Wolbers, freelance writer
“I think the best gift that I have ever received is my dog, Momo. My brother gifted her to my family as a token of appreciation for all of the photoshoots I have gifted to his family over the years. She has brought us so much joy over the past 5 years. Stress too, but mostly joy! I have received so many wonderful gifts throughout my lifetime, but I would have to say that Momo earns the top spot.” – Carrie Kizuka, freelance photographer
“My best-received gifts were my first-born, my daughter, on my 27th birthday, and my middle child, a son, on Valentine’s Day (which had previously been my least-favorite holiday). My third child narrowly missed Dad’s birthday. Next best was an Olivetti laptop in 1988 — the first computer that was actually all mine. My dad let me use his Commodore 64 before that. The best gift I ever gave was a teddy bear to my then-British husband when we were dating. He had told me he’d never received any stuffed toys before, so I did it more as a cute and funny thing, but he was so touched that he brought it over with him when he moved from England to marry me.” – Sue Wilson, freelance writer
“My best friend and her husband gave me a trip to Europe for my 50th birthday. That was a pretty awesome gift!” – Susan L. Angstadt, freelance photographer
“Meaningful gifts don't have to be anything fancy. About 10 years ago, I received a copy of the New Yorker magazine. Along with it was a letter. This marked the beginning of an amazing friendship, along with a weekly exchange of letters, magazines and original writing.” – Heather Baver, freelance writer
“I think one of the greatest gifts you can give someone is a compliment. Someone I previously worked with complimented me recently and that conversation started me on the path to landing my dream job (And of course, there's always Starbucks gift cards, because coffee!).” – Ali Bechtel, freelance writer
“One of the greatest gifts that I’ve ever given, and continue to give, is a selfless amount of time, compassion and undivided attention to others, especially those who are in need or are grieving for any reason.” – Kelly Tanger, freelance writer
