You know I have some incredible people in my life and I know that and I am very grateful for it! SO grateful that I do not expect or ask for much on special occasions (birthdays, christmas, anniversaries, etc) and this where I have found something interesting about the people who I love and love me. There have been a few times when I have been given a gift which I thought was to expensive! Most of the time it's not that I don't want the gift but I can't justify spending so much money for it. It's been worse when I was told a selection a gifts and what the budget was... god I feel guilty like how about a small gift card or something! This where the surprise happens people can get testy like they have planned and bugeted for this gift or budget of a gift and you must spend for it! I find it even more weird how I love to spoil those I care about and are close to me, but hate it being done to me. I get shy and start to blush and have no idea what to do! I'm often stuck with saying "you shouldn't have thankyou so much" even when I don't want to take it and have tried not to! My recent ex-gf even brought up that from an incident 2 years ago with a very expensive watch! Maybe because I am giving to people I care abotu I should be prepared for the same since people never listen when you say somethign you want something small you get something big...want something big you get something small. lol Just the way it works I guess

To me I'm very glad to get any card..It's important to me. I will be a bit sad if I dont get any.. if give me a gift then I will expect a card too, not just a gift. I only receive gifts from ppl I'm very close to.. the one who always give me something is my auntie.. but she never spoil me so I never get any expensive give, she will never give me Tag Heuer (excuse my spelling!) even I kept asking for it. (( I hope she will change her mind as I just notified her that a watch she gave me for my 20th b-day is soon to be out of order and is her duty to buy me new one lol.. for some reason she been buying me watches since I was a lil girl. ))

I cant imagine how I gonna act if I got some expensive gift from someone else than my aunt... Maybe I will feel the same as you.. My colleague gave his wife a blank cheque for their 12th anniversary.. if I was her I don't really know what I gonna do with it. LOL

ps: my b-day 2007, I got none card.. My aunt didnt send any... >.<

Times of celebration I like just the recognition,maybe a personal greeting or a card,that's enough to tell persons care and I appreciate my eldest son he has an agreement with all in our family that he won't buy presents & he don't expect any in return,but he always greets in a polite way on special occasions.

Okay buddy, no more gifts for you...........lol

I like giving gifts to people I love and like. Especially if I have the means to do so.

It doesn't matter if they reciprocate because for me, it's one way for me to show my affection and appreciation.

... but ofcourse, it is always a great feeling to receive gifts from anyone - expensive or inexpensive.

Same here Paul. Well said :-)