My older brother celebrated his birthday yesterday. We made an almond dessert, batham halva, with rosewater and saffron. It’s delicious and allergen-friendly. I had my helping with a glass of milk.
After, it was time for presents. I gave Jay his gift. It was two pairs of socks since he said that he didn’t need anything big. The year before I gave him shot glasses with chemical formulas inscribed in white, and whimsical coasters the year before that.
The first pair of socks did not fit on Jay; they are meant to be worn in the house for relaxing. He tried them on but admitted they were a little tight. I forgot to get extra-large. The second pair almost fit but didn’t come up to his knees, which he’d need for writing in a professional atmosphere. He said he liked the gesture, however, and gave the first pair to my older sister. They fit her perfectly. Coincidentally, her birthday is in the same month, in a few weeks.
Choosing The Right Present
Gift giving is tough. You want to find a gift for someone that is meaningful and useful. Even with the age of Amazon wishlists, sometimes you don’t know what someone wants that will serve its purpose.
With my siblings especially, they’re better at choosing gifts for me than vice-versa. I freely admit that. There was one time I made Jay a basketball out of clay, only for it to crack because no one teaches a kid that ceramics need to be baked unless you get the air-dry model.
Next year, at least I know to get bigger socks if I go that route. Or maybe I’ll go with my original idea and deliver a useful pen. You can never go wrong with a pen that does more than helping you update your notebook.
