Mugs

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.