Gifts and gift giving during Diwali is a tricky business in some situations. None more so than when it is for the in-laws aka out-laws.
The moment you turn your thoughts to buying them a gift that will hopefully be considered worthy is the moment that doubt floods your conscious awareness.
Remembering that, if you buy something very expensive, they may presume that you’re being flippant or possibly wasteful with your family’s money.
If you buy something cheap will they take this to mean that this equates to how you value them.
Or worse still a gift voucher. Oops.
In my humble opinion the ideal gift is More Of The Same.
If your in-law collects scented candles then add to that collection. If they appreciate botanical miniatures then migrate to the local garden centre. If they enjoy camping in the kitchen then proffer more pots and pans.
More importantly avoid overdoing the gift. If they collect modest art I would suggest resisting the urge to gift the Mona Lisa.
And, if they insist that the best gift they’ve received was their grandchildren then the two of you’d better get cracking!
This type of gift giving is also a measure of your interest in them. You would need to invest some time understanding exactly ‘who’ your in-laws are and what they appreciate. You may even discover that it becomes a two-way street.
Overall a well-selected gift during Diwali can shape the family dynamics for the remainder of the year if not forever. Not because of the gift or it’s value but because it’s a gesture of understanding and openness.
It is conceivable that a gift card with a few simple words telling your in-law how much you appreciate them and the gift of their offspring would traverse most emotional voids.
It may seem that all your efforts are sometimes unnoticed but ultimately any effort is always better than none at all.
Abandon doubt and don your investigative cap before Diwali. What exactly do they like…More Of The Same!
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