Best Gift you Ever Received or Got Someone Else.......

[FinanceDude]

Mine is easy:

My sister was re-diagnosed with cancer in February 2000. She was going through chemo and radiation and all that througout the year. Through happenstance, I met a guy who knew Lance Armstrong quite well. I asked for a favor, could he get Lance Armstrong to autograph something for my sister, who was a HUGE cycling fan and Olympic road race certified official.

Two weeks after the tour, he gives me an autographed cycling cap from Lance. The hat was the official hat given to all cyclists in the race. I gave to her for X-mas, and I got it all on tape.

You would have thought she won the lottery, jumping, crying, laughing, swearing, all ensued. She put it up in a glass case on her mantel with a light on it. When her cycling friends came by, they used to drool at it............ I stll have the hat carefully preserved, and in the safe deposit box........

 

[bbbamI]

Best gift received....my first motorcycle at 15 years old.

Best gift given...my first choice is blood. My second choice is working, saving and investing so that DH could retire early.

 

[FinanceDude]

Best gift received....my first motorcycle at 15 years old.

Best gift given...my first choice is blood. My second choice is working, saving and investing so that DH could retire early.

Giving blood trumps mine........

But I have given blood before.......

 

[Moemg]

Finance Dude , Your gift is a hard act to follow so here is my best shot

When my SO and I first started dating we were talking about toys we loved as a child and I said I always wanted one of those pedal fire engines but in the 50's that was strictly a boy's toy . So I just watched the neighborhood boys with envy on their fire trucks . The third Christmas we were together I awoke to this present .

 

[W2R]

Best gift received - - - When I was a kid, Dr. Brown (a childless friend and colleague of my father's) used to give each of us kids a $5 gift certificate to the Doubleday's bookstore. Now that may not sound wonderful these days, but back in the 1950's a typical kid's book (like Hardy Boys or Tom Sawyer or even Little Women) was only $1. So, I could usually buy 4-5 books. Every year I would look forward with great anticipation to our book-buying expedition on the day after Christmas. I would dream, and plan. I had complete faith that that $5 gift certificate would arrive every year, and he never let me down, not even once. Getting that gift certificate was one of the Constants of the Universe, as far as I was concerned.

Best gift given - - - an 8" tall teddy bear with a torn ear that cost less than 50 cents at a thrift shop. I sewed up the ear, put a red ribbon around his neck, brushed his fur a little to make him fluffier, and put him under the Christmas tree for my 14 month old daughter. (We didn't have much money then - - see the thread on how much kids cost). When my daughter came out in her PJ's on Christmas morning, she entered the room, stopped, and her eyes were huge and her smile was even bigger. "BEAR!!!" she cried with a triumphant laugh! She had wanted a teddy bear so much. Then she picked it up and carried it around all day. Hugged it constantly and wouldn't put it down. That was a pretty great response, I thought.

 

[freebird5825]

Best given would have to be the 4 LP record set of Pavarotti that I gave my Mom for our birthday (yes, our, same day, 31 years apart). She told me she played those records over and over, after she retired.

Best received is the gift of a brand new future, from dh2b. <awwww>

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Married my wife in 1972 (2nd for us both). We had nice wedding bands but I had never given her an engagement ring. For our 25th anniversary, I decided to get her a very nice ring but since it was a little late for an engagement, I made it an anniversary ring. Took our grown daughter with me as I'm no expert on what a woman would like in a ring. I was really excited for her to get it at our 25th anniv party. Found out later that my daughter had told my wife, "you better get him something really nice". Well, at our anniversary dinner, she was really excited about receiving this very nice ring and then she surprised me with a Rolex Submariner. I was in shock. Never thought I'd see the day. She knew I always wanted that watch but wouldn't spring for one myself, so she did it. I've had it 12 years now and still love it. My greatest material gift ever.

 

[bbbamI]

Giving blood trumps mine........

I disagree...your love for your sister was the best gift she could get from you.

But I have given blood before.......

There you go. You care for others as well.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Pavarotti

Best given would have to be the 4 LP record set of Pavarotti that I gave my Mom for our birthday (yes, our, same day, 31 years apart). She told me she played those records over and over, after she retired.

I splurged on Pavarotti tickets years ago when I lived in CA. I snagged two seats early but my husband refused to go(hated opera). So I took my son who was about 7 at the time. The concert was in a small tent in a field in Pebble Beach, and we had a great time. P's Dad was in the front row, too, and he introduced him to the audience as he figured heavily in his early career. I'm glad your Mom liked her gift.

 

[frayne]

Easy, a healthy child and two healthy grandchildren!

 

[HFWR]

I used to give blood, until it was discovered that the recipients developed a strange craving for Oreos, and started listening to weird music...

 

[dex]

I did 400hrs on a teenage runaway hot line (and no crime committed).
Some told me I helped them and I learned from them.

 

[Buckeye]

The best gift I received was $500 from my grandfather for my high school graduation in 1977. I had a certain amount of money (more than I could earn with a summer job) I needed to earn during the summer between high school and college to pay for whatever for college. I felt the weight of the world come off my shoulders when I opened the graduation card and saw the 5 $100 bills. I couldn't believe it.

One of the best gifts I gave was my time to visit my grandmother when I went back to Seattle to visit twice a year. It was pathetic, but other than my uncle (her son) who helped her the most (while complaining), I think I visited her more than any of my cousins, my sister, or my mom who all lived within about an hour of her. I was also beside her (alone except for a one hour visit by my aunt and uncle) for the last 4 days prior to her death.

The next best gift I gave was the Cartier watch I bought for my husband during a trip to Rome in 2002. He always said he wanted a Rolex but my boss talked me into looking at the Cartiers which I liked much better. Husband loves it.

 

[spncity]

Received: A black and white Welsh pony (I was in second grade). She came with a new saddle and bridle.

Given: DH was pretty impressed when the Snap-On truck pulled into our driveway the evening of his birthday for a private shopping spree (and the cash to fund it).