Post 2

Gifts

Emerson says that the way we give and receive gifts is selfish and wrong. He says that we need to give gifts without the expectation of getting one in return nor should we expect a 'thank you', and also when we give gifts it should not be for the sole reason of having the superior position, blackmail in a sense. When receiving a gift, any emotion that is shown is bad. If we show sadness towards a gift or if we show gladness towards a gift, both are disrespectful and mean towards the giver. When we show emotion towards a gift, it means that we care more about the gift itself, rather than the person who gave you the gift. it means that we care more about possessions than we do about relationships. the way that we receive and give gifts proves to us that we are more concerned with material wealth than we are with making connections with people and caring for others. Emerson tells us that our gifts should be little pieces of ourselves given to other people. He says that material gifts are not nearly as meaningful to other people as gifts that are small pieces of our souls given to another person. He tells us "But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy me something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith's." If you began to give gifts like this, your life would change in the idea that every time you were expected to give someone a gift, and simply gave them something meaningless in wealth to them, it would not be accepted. When i was little, I really wanted to give my family christmas presents, but clearly i had no money. So I gave my dad, mom, and sister each a small empty box and I told them it was a box of love. My mom still has that box. One time my little cousin in second grade had an assignment to write about her hero, and she wrote about me. Her mom then sent me the letter and it is one of hte best gifts i've ever recieved. She said i wasn't supposed to ever read it, but I am glad my aunt told me about it.