A Fine Predicament
My father will be celebrating his 86th birthday on the 29th of this month. Since five years ago he is the oldest living member of our family and this is the event of the year in our family.
So what is the problem then?Every year round about this time I walk around aimlessly, trying to figure out a suitable gift. What do you give a man who already has everything that he wants?
I can remember when I was a student, I crippled myself financially for three months to buy him a genuine leather steering wheel cover that he never used. While he was in hospital earlier this year I had to fetch something for him in his house and I stumbled across that very same steering wheel cover; still unopened in the original packing.
He’s got large a trunk with an almighty padlock in his bedroom and nobody knows what he keeps in there. He is not the type of man to hoard gold bars in a trunk; it will be converted to cash and put it to work. What if that trunk is filled with all the useless gifts I gave him through the years?
Then it will all come back to me when he dies. What on earth am I going to do with all that junk?
Maybe I should buy him something I can use later.
Comments (48)
Now , you have me wrecking my brain now about my own daddy's birthday present in December --he was talking about taking up fishing again whenever he would retire --he's 75 almost and he's still working !! albeit partime -so maybe some new fishing gear --I gotta get my thinking cap on now
Golf trousers? It is very clear that you don" don't know my dad. He would not be seen dead in "pajamas".
I'll think about your suggestion. Maybe it will work, but I don't like the idea of pledges and promises for a gift.
I'm going to turn in now too.
If so, a cd or ticket to a concert would be great. Elderly people also often like anything related to the family, so a family dinner, an outing with the whole family including grandchildren, or perhaps great grandchildren given your dad's age, a framed photo of the family.....
Elderly people don't see all their family often enough, so a get together if possible would bring joy I'm sure.
We are a small and close family. We spend a lot of quality time together, except for my own children who are both far away.
His hearing is bad so music, movies, theatre etc are not an option.
So very difficult.
This sounds very feasible. Thanks, I will put it on my shortlist.