A Donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital Was My Way to Honor My Grandpa
Buying a gift takes special consideration. And we’ve all been on both sides of the exchange, whether it’s gone well or not so well. You know when the wrapping paper comes off whether a present is a winner. In our Gifted & Approved series, we tell the stories of those winners, the best presents our editors have either given or received. We hope they provide a little inspiration and advice as you go about your holiday shopping and gift search.
My dad is the hardest person to shop for each Christmas. He often says that he doesn’t need anything, but you can’t just not give your dad a Christmas gift. So last year, I found myself racking my brain for something I could wrap up and put under the tree for him that was decently affordable without being low-quality or something he would ultimately tire of. That’s when it came to me: I actually didn’t need to get him anything. Instead, I could give on his behalf.
Of all the gifts I’ve ever come up with, this has by far been my favorite. I love seeing the look of surprise and excitement on my loved ones’ faces when I’ve nailed it with a physical gift. But something about gifting a donation feels extra special and even more meaningful.
Donation
stjude.org
Bridget CleggFor my dad specifically, I chose to make a make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in his name. My grandpa (his father) was a big supporter of St. Jude during his life, even earning St. Jude’s Man of the Year in 1968. The hospital — which works to further research and help treat children with cancer, among other diseases — has been particularly special in my family. So when it came to deciding which organization to give to, it was a no-brainer.
St. Jude’s website makes it really easy, too. I chose to give $75 on behalf of my dad, and then I got to choose a sweet holiday card to have St. Jude send him confirming the gift (without listing the amount).
My dad is notoriously pretty stoic, so I’m not going to tell you that this gift elicited some big reaction that generally would be out of character for him. That said, when I spoke with him about it recently, he appreciated the idea behind it. “There are many people who need more than I do,” he told me. “Papa’s admiration for St. Jude’s was because it helps kids for free,” he added when discussing my grandpa’s love for the organization.
I love giving an amazing Christmas gift that a loved one really wanted or is excited about. But more than that, I’ve discovered I love giving back as a gift. St. Jude also offers the option of giving a gift in memory of someone — and given that this will be our fourth Christmas without my grandpa, I’m thinking of doing that in memory of him. Few things feel as good as giving back, especially during the holidays. Why not gift that feeling forward?
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