I think we remember special gifts we’ve received because these gifts often are part of a special memory for us. It may be a memory of someone special we’ve cared deeply about. He or she may no longer be alive. Or it may be a memory of a special event in our lives. It may even be a memory of the person we once were at some particular moment in our lives.
Gifts from other people can make us feel joy every time we look at them. A gift from our parents, or our husband or wife makes us feel loved each time we see or use it. If we have children, the first gift our child made for us in kindergarten is cherished long after the child has grown up. A family heirloom given to us by a grandparent makes us feel connected to our past. A gift from a good friend is a reminder of all the good times we’ve shared. A memento from a respected colleague of a reminder of a job we worked on successfully together.
Gift may also pinpoint special events in our lives. Gifts given to us as part of our religious heritage, such as First Communion or Chanukkah gifts, remind us of those celebrations. The same is true for gifts given for birthdays and graduations, and for the anniversaries of special days in our lives, like our wedding day.
Gifts can also be a symbol of the person we were at a particular point in our lives. A gift received in childhood may remind us of a passionate hobby that’s now boxed in the attic. A gift received when we left a job may bring to mind the first career we bad, now that we’re on our third or fourth.
The gifts that are important to us are the ones that remind us of family, friends and happy times. They’re a way of surrounding ourselves with our past.