Pranatee Shah Week #12 - Power of Thoughtfulness

Recently, I spoke to a friend about her mom’s upcoming 50th birthday. She was expressing her worry over not having had the time to prepare much. She ranted about how she did not know how to celebrate the birthday. Over and over, she would repeat things like “I don't know what to get her,” “Amazon shipping won’t come in time,” and “ “maybe I’ll buy her more jewelry?” 


I noticed, in the entire lengthy amount of time she was expressing her dilemma, that all she spoke of was gifts. I then realized that her idea of what defines a birthday celebration is gifts.

We are such different people, I thought.

For my mom’s birthday last year, my sister and I transformed her room into Pranatee and Raadha’s Spa, complete with candles, calming nature music, a diffuser, towels, face masks, scented oils, nail polish, and different face creams. My mom got the whole package: we started off with a facial, then pedicure, manicure, head massage, and back massage.


This picture is similar to the setup of Pranatee and Raadha's Spa


For me, it is the thought put into an action that counts. Money means nothing. Sparkly gold necklaces are beautiful, and so are shiny store-bought birthday cards. But, when compared to homemade cards and actual experiences with the people I love, these items lose their value. If someone creates a card for me, it means they actually put thought, time, and effort into it. Experiences, such as the spa day I gave my mom, make it obvious that the individual truly cares and wants to spend time making your day special. 


Yes, thought is put into gifts as well. But, all it takes is one click on Amazon’s “buy now” button to complete this task. Not nearly as much time and effort is put into buying gifts.


Thoughtfulness will forever be one of the most powerful and special characteristics an individual can have.

Comments

  1. Tanishka NathMarch 3, 2025 at 5:38 PM

    Hi Pranatee! As an avid card maker myself, I absolutely believe it is the thought that counts. I definitely don’t have the money right now for luxurious or extravagant presents and gifts that the average person may prefer, but I always buy what I can, as well as making a handmade card and stickers. The spa is an amazing idea for a birthday present, and it was one of the most thoughtful presents ever. I would love that for myself, and I will definitely be doing that for my mom’s birthday as well! Ignoring the money aspect of presents, I always appreciate heartfelt presents rather than extravagant or other luxurious gifts, which I still deeply appreciate nonetheless. The power of thoughtfulness can go a long way, as smaller gifts and the thought of the gift can drive it, and have a bigger impact on improving relationships and celebrating achievements. Thoughtfulness can happen anywhere, and it is so creative, with no limits to what you can give or receive. Showing that level of consideration for other people doesn’t go unnoticed, and this thoughtfulness helps you become a better person with a better character overall. It was great to learn more about the power of thoughtfulness and how your own life experiences and kindness have taught you about the importance of thoughtfulness, good job!

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  2. James ChanMarch 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM

    I feel that the problem with most gifts is that you are never truly sure whether the recipient will use/like them. When I was in elementary school, I thought in a similar way to your friend. I always loved buying gifts for my relatives (I still do!), but I could never be sure whether they would use/appreciate the gifts I bought for them, or whether those gifts would eventually end up forgotten or in the trash. Now, I think that the best gifts are not necessarily experiences, but rather consumables. You can never be sure if someone will like a gift—so if you get a non-consumable gift for them (e.g. a necklace) you never know if they will actually use it. By contrast, if you get them a gift that is quickly consumed (e.g. bath bombs), it probably won’t lie in their house collecting dust—it’s more likely to be used at some point. For me, my favorite gift to give is food and treats. It’s easy to find fun and interesting foods (e.g. apple-flavored Kit-Kats), and it’s easy to learn about their culinary tastes. What other gift ideas do you usually think of?

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