Many books have been written about “the art of giving”. But what about “the art of receiving”? Sometimes, receiving a gift can be difficult, especially when someone buys you a gift you don’t want!

“I remember when I was about twelve years old, my parents bought me a purple purse,” laughs Cathy. “It really made me feel strange, because to be honest, I thought the purse was out of fashion! Still, I pretended that I liked it because I knew it would make my parents happy!”

Ken agrees. “That sounds like my grandparents! A few years ago, my grandparents gave me an orange sweater for my birthday. I used to wear it every time I visited them，but when I left their house，I took it off! Of course, this made me feel guilty. It was a very nice thought (心意), but my grandparents and I have different tastes!

I think it’s hard to buy clothes or other personal things for people.

To make things easier, some people would rather just give money. In some cultures，however, receiving money can make people uncomfortable. “When someone gives me money, it just makes me think they’re being lazy” says John Wilson. “In England, we have a saying: It’s the thought that counts. When someone gives me money, I feel they didn’t think at all. I prefer to receive a gift that has some thought behind it. I don’t mind if it’s something I don’t need．If someone has thought about a gift for me，it always makes me happy?”