Gift-Giving

This Christmas, just like two Christmases ago, and two Christmases before that I didn't bring any individual gifts for my aunts and cousins. I just bought a box of chocolates for everyone. They, of course, bought gifts for me and put some thought into what I would find useful. I decided that the next time around, I would buy gifts for everyone. It is just too embarrassing not to do so, and it  just shows a complete lack of consideration. I can make as many excuses as I like--I am a student on a meager allowance whereas they have expensive tastes, I am not materialistic/consumerist, I don't know them well enough, but these are just excuses. I can write reams and reams about consumerist culture and how it is terrible for the environment and for society, but I will save that for another blog post. I realize that gifts don't have to be expensive to be thoughtful, Also, this won't be the first time or the last that I go against my personal proclivities and bow to social norms. As per a wise counsel I received about a year ago, if one is ashamed about a situation, there are only two  choices--either make a conscious decision not to be ashamed and carry on, or change the situation. In this case, I am going to change the situation.I also realize that there is no point in being ashamed now, when it is too late to change the situation. Giving someone a gift shows that you care about them. Whether I like it or not, that is a socially sanctioned way of showing concern and I must play by the norms. And, the key principle here is reciprocity. I need not initiate gift-giving, but the least I can do is reciprocate. Otherwise, I just feel like a freeloader.