Home Truth

It was my sister’s birthday last week and the hunt for the perfect present was underway. Nothing too expensive and yet something special. Nothing too difficult to get hold of and yet something meaningful. Nothing extravagantly pointless and yet something memorable.

I’ve never had the confidence to give my granny a goat, my kid a kid or teachers at school some pencils. Perhaps it’s because I love receiving presents on my birthday. I love the anticipation, the surprises and being treated as special person for the day. I haven’t got the courage to deprive my family and friends of that either.

I’ve also felt slightly embarrassed through the years of giving absolutely everyone fairly traded gifts, which they came to expect because “that’s what Helen and Andy are in to“. Still, gone are the days where you had to buy ten Kisii candlesticks to get two that vaguely matched. The quality and variety of what’s available out there has improved beyond recognition.

So sometimes I do better than others. I scored a hit with my sister anyway. Sent her a Chocolate Lover’s hamper - all fair trade of course. Chocolate is her first love and I made some quip about this being a conversion experience for her. I’m still undergoing mine in this area - I wish her well.

She seemed really pleased. So was I. It met all my above criteria and got a tick in the ethical consumer box too. Smiles all round.

Filed under: gifts, fair trade on April 24th, 2007