A gift is said to be a token to express that feeling we get when thinking of someone. It could be a present from a trip abroad, a spur of the moment gift that made you remember them or a planned present to show how much they mean to you. A gift heightens a feeling; it's an action backing up the words.
Someone once asked me what would be the perfect present? To be honest I can't remember the answer. That's the thing about a gift, it can be amazing to receive, sometimes something you'll never forget... But at the end of the day it is just that, a token. The real gift is the meaning behind it.
Meeting the family of a new partner is something you can't plan. You can try to be nice, be yourself, rein in the things you don't want to say and make sure you complement the dinner even if the cat’s food looked more appetising!
It's when you meet the brother on the stairs for the first time, staring at you whilst you wait for your date to get ready. Making you sweat, making you hope the ground swallows you up and making you think waiting in the car wouldn't have been so bad. It's the cousin that comes from the north who talks to you and you try your hardest to answer them, even though you didn't really understand what they said! It's the mother that welcomes you into her home but questions everything you do, questioning your intentions, only to protect her own. It's the sister with the crazy son who sings an Abba song right in front of you and then asks who that strange boy is pointing in your direction. It's the brother, the cat that dribbles, the dad that wears jogging bottoms with a shirt and finally the crazy girl that is engaged to the brother, the girl that is scared of tomato ketchup, has a laugh that breaks glass and tries to compare her crazy self to you!
It's a family that accepts you. A family that one day will bring you back a gift from their holiday, a gift because you might just be worth one. A family that gives you a mug.
That's the amazing thing about a gift; it could be small, big or something that others see different to you. A gift is not just what you receive... It's the intention behind it.
Actions might speak louder than words, gifts might be a way of saying something that can't be said in any other way, but just remember... Some of the best gifts don't come wrapped, packaged or cost a penny. Some of the best gifts are the ones we know are there without having to have anything to show for them.
The perfect present I guess, is the things that make us happy. Our family, friends and just enjoying life.
Maybe the best gifts in life really are free and others are the little extras that surprise us. We all have our mugs and sometimes it's just really nice to be thought of.
Sometimes having a great family and meeting new people can be a gift in itself.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Twists of Fake
Some people say you spend your life looking for a diamond in the rough. Someone to laugh with, connect too and someone that makes you shine. Some people say real diamonds won't scratch on glass... However, some diamonds become fakes, no matter how real they were when they were first given to you.
My mum was on holiday one time, a hot break away with my sister and me. One blistering day in the Majorcan sun we decided to take the day trip to the markets. As we walked amongst the gold’s and the scarves, we bargained a fake Nike belt for me, a handbag for my sister and tried to find a watch for my mum.
After looking through what felt like hundreds of watches my mum finally settled on a silver Gucci replica. Satisfied with the purchase and back on the coach due to leave in 10 minutes we looked at the goods. My fake Nike, my sister’s fake bag and my mum’s fake Gucci watch.... A watch that actually was more fake than we thought, it was a watch that quite clearly read, Cuggi instead of Gucci. My mum was not one to be cheated, even from a cheat. We ran back to the stall showed the fake fake and mum haggled a quick change. A different watch but nice and spelt correctly. We got back to the coach with seconds to spare and my mum tried on her new fake watch... Her new fake child’s size Gucci that did not fit adults. The Cuggi might have been an obvious fake, but at least it fitted.
That's the thing about a fake, people say they can spot one a mile off, yet they still fool most and people still buy them.
Sometimes a fake can be there to protect us... It can be an easier way out, a safer way than lying in the sun perhaps. Sometimes what comes out of the bottle, even though it can streak, maybe make you orange, it still puts you in control.
There are things in life that blind us, things that we can’t see past no matter how much people whisper in your ear or try and make you see the truth. A fake is not something we purchase, not something we choose. A fake is something that happens sometimes. It could be because we are afraid of the truth, don’t see the truth, don't like the truth or run from it.
The thing about a fake, whether it's knowing yourself, realising at some point or never finding out... who cares? We are all diamonds; just some won't cut glass, some might not sparkle as much and some may cover up things they don’t want us to see.
And then it dawned on me... It doesn't really matter if it's a fake, as long as the thought behind it was 100 percent real. As long as you believe in the truth behind it, a Cuggi might be the best fit, a tan might last all year long and as long as it’s authentic on the inside then the best things that are real no matter where they are from or how much they cost… are not that fake at all.
My mum was on holiday one time, a hot break away with my sister and me. One blistering day in the Majorcan sun we decided to take the day trip to the markets. As we walked amongst the gold’s and the scarves, we bargained a fake Nike belt for me, a handbag for my sister and tried to find a watch for my mum.
After looking through what felt like hundreds of watches my mum finally settled on a silver Gucci replica. Satisfied with the purchase and back on the coach due to leave in 10 minutes we looked at the goods. My fake Nike, my sister’s fake bag and my mum’s fake Gucci watch.... A watch that actually was more fake than we thought, it was a watch that quite clearly read, Cuggi instead of Gucci. My mum was not one to be cheated, even from a cheat. We ran back to the stall showed the fake fake and mum haggled a quick change. A different watch but nice and spelt correctly. We got back to the coach with seconds to spare and my mum tried on her new fake watch... Her new fake child’s size Gucci that did not fit adults. The Cuggi might have been an obvious fake, but at least it fitted.
That's the thing about a fake, people say they can spot one a mile off, yet they still fool most and people still buy them.
Sometimes a fake can be there to protect us... It can be an easier way out, a safer way than lying in the sun perhaps. Sometimes what comes out of the bottle, even though it can streak, maybe make you orange, it still puts you in control.
There are things in life that blind us, things that we can’t see past no matter how much people whisper in your ear or try and make you see the truth. A fake is not something we purchase, not something we choose. A fake is something that happens sometimes. It could be because we are afraid of the truth, don’t see the truth, don't like the truth or run from it.
The thing about a fake, whether it's knowing yourself, realising at some point or never finding out... who cares? We are all diamonds; just some won't cut glass, some might not sparkle as much and some may cover up things they don’t want us to see.
And then it dawned on me... It doesn't really matter if it's a fake, as long as the thought behind it was 100 percent real. As long as you believe in the truth behind it, a Cuggi might be the best fit, a tan might last all year long and as long as it’s authentic on the inside then the best things that are real no matter where they are from or how much they cost… are not that fake at all.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
The Tattoo
A ring is said to symbolise many things, a phone call, love and friendship. After a weekend spent at a wedding in France... the greatest thing a ring could possibly represent is a need, a comfort and ultimately, true happiness.
If a ring is said to be a symbol, then it is a mark. Something designed to remember, a tattoo. The deepest thing that enforces a memory however, is not the ring that you wear or the ink that stains the body, but the passion behind it. A passion that even without a tattoo or ring, you'd never forget.
I was once on holiday with friends, we walked past a henna lady every night and finally a friend and I decided to get one. Mine was a Libra scale at the back of my neck. Even though it wasn't with a needle, the scratching nature nearly made me pass out, along with the thought, 'who else has this scratched?' Then my friend was up, she decided that she would have her boyfriends name across her bum. MATT, was imprinted across her right cheek and as soon as she was done, she felt dizzy and needed to sit down. After quickly feeling better she hopped up to reveal her boyfriends name smudged over her bum. The tattoo was re-done, luckily Henna lasts a week...
That’s the thing with a tattoo and a ring; they're something that’s meant to be there forever. Representing a truth, a passion, but now something that can also be removed and can be annulled.
Should we stick to a transfer and be safe, or just think more before the Ink and truly honour the passion?
My Nan always insisted on 3 rings. 3 rings as soon as we got home from visiting her. It was not the fact she wanted a chat, nor to make sure her phone worked, it was for her to know the people she cared about and passion that drove her were safe.
That's the thing about life... At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter about the size of the ring or the tattoo that marks a date. It is about what the ring represents and the story of how it came about.
The journey is just as important as the result.
Sometimes nothing could represent the massive scale of someone’s passion and sometimes we might just need 3 rings.
To Claire and Anthony, a couple that had the passion, then the rings. Congratulations.
If a ring is said to be a symbol, then it is a mark. Something designed to remember, a tattoo. The deepest thing that enforces a memory however, is not the ring that you wear or the ink that stains the body, but the passion behind it. A passion that even without a tattoo or ring, you'd never forget.
I was once on holiday with friends, we walked past a henna lady every night and finally a friend and I decided to get one. Mine was a Libra scale at the back of my neck. Even though it wasn't with a needle, the scratching nature nearly made me pass out, along with the thought, 'who else has this scratched?' Then my friend was up, she decided that she would have her boyfriends name across her bum. MATT, was imprinted across her right cheek and as soon as she was done, she felt dizzy and needed to sit down. After quickly feeling better she hopped up to reveal her boyfriends name smudged over her bum. The tattoo was re-done, luckily Henna lasts a week...
That’s the thing with a tattoo and a ring; they're something that’s meant to be there forever. Representing a truth, a passion, but now something that can also be removed and can be annulled.
Should we stick to a transfer and be safe, or just think more before the Ink and truly honour the passion?
My Nan always insisted on 3 rings. 3 rings as soon as we got home from visiting her. It was not the fact she wanted a chat, nor to make sure her phone worked, it was for her to know the people she cared about and passion that drove her were safe.
That's the thing about life... At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter about the size of the ring or the tattoo that marks a date. It is about what the ring represents and the story of how it came about.
The journey is just as important as the result.
Sometimes nothing could represent the massive scale of someone’s passion and sometimes we might just need 3 rings.
To Claire and Anthony, a couple that had the passion, then the rings. Congratulations.
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