What Not To Give For Christmas (Or Any Other Time)

dr laura jon d harrison jonathan gift

Doing some last minute Christmas shopping? Let me share with you a lesson that can save you from learning it the hard way.

Interested in what not to give for Christmas? Don’t buy someone else a self help book as a gift.

Almost 11 years ago, when my wife and I were first married, I asked myself “Jon, what would be a good gift to buy your new wife? Well, I like books (especially self improvement). Let’s get her an improvement book about…

Marriage.

So I settled on Dr. Laura’s “The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands.”

Home run, right?

Yeah, not so much.

(This book still sits unread, unopened, on the shelf 11 years later).

So while you have probably heard “it’s the thought that counts” make sure you are actually thinking before you give a gift like this!

Even if you have the best intentions, there is a strong chance it can be misunderstood.

It is also important to point out that when giving to others, it must be selfless. I stood to gain (a lot) from my wife reading this book.

What does that say about my motives?

I think the equivalent gift to give back to me would have been a book titled: “How to Stop Thinking About Your Self All The Time, Quit Acting Like You Are Always Right, and Pick Up After Yourself.”

Then again, that sounds like something I might enjoy reading…

Hmmmm….maybe I can re-gift that Dr. Laura book.

(Naah, I’d better not).

What is the worst gift you have given to someone else?