15 Stories That Prove Choosing the Right Gift Is Almost an Art

Choosing a gift is always a bit of a challenge. You want to surprise another person, and make the gift memorable and pleasant. But sometimes ideas go beyond the usual standards and turn into real stories.

• My friend had to go to work through the woods from the train station, so she carried a gift from a witty colleague in her bag — a hammer, a small hammer. And that evening we decided to go to the theater, all beautiful. You should have seen the guard’s face in the theater when the frame beeped, and she took the hammer out of her purse. © Overheard / Ideer
• The most unexpected gift I received was from the mother of my ex-fiancé. They bought ordinary toilet paper, but I bought 5-ply toilet paper. I used to bring it for everyone. But his mom said they didn’t need luxury like this and used huge rolls of paper.
  And then one day my personal paper holder appeared next to that roll in their house. With a princess on it. It was very cute and unexpected. © Overheard / Ideer
• Told my mom I wanted a tattoo, showed her the sketch. She didn’t criticize the idea, but she didn’t support it either, actually she didn’t say anything at all. And 2 weeks later on my twenty-fifth birthday, I received a gift from my parents — a certificate for a tattoo in the salon where I wanted to go (my mom found it out from my husband).
  And she also suggested I have 2 tattoos: one that I wanted, and another one to cover the scar from an old surgery. And the amount of the certificate was just right for that. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a parallel reality. But I definitely have nothing to complain about. © Overheard / Ideer

• Some people lack a family to be happy, some lack a favorite business. And I lacked a cactus, but I didn’t have time for that. Once I told my friend about my dream, and she happily announced that in a week she would bring me the cherished plant. And she did.
  Though in my dreams, I envisioned a small and round miracle, and my friend brought a huge monster, which is now taller than me, and my height is 5 feet 5 inches. It’s very capricious and if I move it, it immediately begins to wither. Dreams come true, for sure. © Overheard / Ideer
• My sister’s baby tooth fell out. Before going to bed, she asked me if the tooth fairy gave me a coin for my tooth when I was a kid. I said she didn’t give me anything. Then she regretfully said that I had a sad childhood. I laughed and forgot.
  At night, our parents put a coin under her pillow instead of a tooth, implying that the tooth fairy had visited her. And in the morning, I found the same coin on the table and a piece of paper which said in my sister’s handwriting that it was a present for me. From the tooth fairy. © Overheard / Ideer
• My grandmother always gives me gold jewelry for the holidays. I’ve told her a thousand times that I don’t wear it. Once, she came to visit me and said, “Show me where you keep my presents.” I didn’t want to, but my grandmother got worried.
  She didn’t know that I sold them, added some money and gave her this amount of money for new teeth for her birthday. She asks me again, “Where are my presents?” I reply, “In your mouth, Grandma!” Oh, she was indignant!
  She said I was ungrateful, and that she gave me everything, and this is how I paid her back. I didn’t throw it away, I didn’t trade it for anything, I gave it back to her. Now she isn’t offended with me anymore, but every time we meet she still reproaches me. © Overheard / Ideer

• I am a freelancer, living with my parents. Recently it was my birthday, and my parents decided to give me a present wrapped in a “fashionable” way — in a newspaper. Only the newspaper turned out to be filled with job ads. Now I think: is it a hint or a coincidence? © Overheard / Ideer
• My dad has always been practical when it comes to gifts. On all holidays, he used to give my mom a frying pan, an iron, or a vacuum cleaner, saying that “it will come in handy in the household.” The most “romantic” gift was a new spinning rod. He argued that they go fishing together, and he fishes for her, so the gift is for her. Mom just sighed.
  But on Dad’s recent birthday, Mom paid him back. She gave him a dress for herself! She said, “Well, we’re going out together, you’ll be pleased to see how beautiful I look, won’t you?” Dad chuckled, but didn’t say anything. Balance restored! © Mamdarinka / VK
• I’ve been writing poetry since I was 16, but it’s never been published. A month ago, I met a guy with whom we date now. He’s an artist. When I told him what I was writing, he got very interested and asked me to let him read it or read it out loud.
  I’m not that brave to read my poems out loud, so I just gave him a notebook for one evening. The guy admitted that he liked the poems, and a week later he gave me the sweetest gift — an illustrated self-published book of my poems! He, after I gave him the notebook, copied all the poems and illustrated them. No one has ever done anything like this for me before! © Mamdarinka / VK

• When I was 10, I said I wanted a brick as a present to my Grandad, and told him I wanted it because I could throw it through the TV at our home and get a new one.
  Fast-forward to my birthday, and there is this very nicely packed present, with the brick inside. And when I look up at my Grandad, he is almost dying of laughter. Man, I miss him. © Trovernic / Reddit
• The best gift I ever got was a hoodie with a large kangaroo pouch, like a built-in bag. Carry my guinea pigs, my snake, my dog, my phone, everything in there. Awesome. © Averymoistcrayon / Reddit
• When I turned 16, my first boyfriend stitched a pair of pants for me. He used colored thread to stitch a candle, a heart, a sun, the year, and more. Pretty cool embroidery.
  When you turned the jeans inside out, he had written love notes all over the inner fabric. Made me melt. © bkind2ppl / Reddit

• My husband and I have birthdays one day apart. I decided a long time ago that this year I would make him a real surprise and give him money for a new computer. I saved up for a long time, put aside every spare penny, and finally collected the necessary amount and hid the money in an old sofa, which I had been planning to throw away for several months. I thought it was a safe place because I was going to throw it away soon anyway.
  So, I come home from work, enter the living room and freeze. In the place of our worn-out sofa, there is a new, beautiful, huge couch, and my husband is sitting proudly on it, shining like a polished kettle. I felt dizzy. “What is this?” I asked in a strangled voice.
  And he replied with a satisfied face, “You wanted a new sofa for a long time! So, I found money in the old sofa, thought it was fate, and bought this one! This is your birthday present, my dear!” At that moment, I realized that I had clearly made a mistake somewhere in this life. © Mamdarinka / VK
• I bought myself a new book about Japanese art. I’m walking happy, thinking, “I’ll visit a friend at work.” I come, put the book on the table with a smile, saying, “Look what I bought.”
  My friend smiles, “How did you know? I’ve wanted it for so long! Thanks for the gift!” It’s always nice to give gifts. Even if they were originally meant for yourself. © Overheard / Ideer
• My boyfriend never gives me flowers or chocolates. Recently, he came in with burning eyes and said, “I brought you a really cool gift. You’re going to love it.” I thought, “Well, finally, I’ve waited long enough.”
  And he takes out a huge piece of meat out of his briefcase and solemnly hands it to me. © Overheard / Ideer

And here people share the shocking gifts they got for Christmas.