The other day I shared a great article from PopSugar about how teaching your children the phrase “A gift is a thought” can totally reframe how they accept presents, regardless of the contents.

I loved the essay, and it has stayed with me since reading it. I wasn’t sure why I felt it so much. After all, we have always been taught “it’s the thought that counts” when it comes to presents. Nothing groundbreaking, really. But something about the way it was worded got me. I think now I realize why.

I think it’s because I have always felt, for me, that a THOUGHT is a GIFT.

I know it might sound similar, and it is in a way. But let me explain where I see the difference.

I am highly sensitive and probably over-the-top sentimental. I don’t need expensive gifts. I mean, yes of course there are things I would like sometimes, but that’s not what I need. Ever since I grew out of the “give-me-all-the-presents-Santa” phase, what I have craved is thoughtfulness.

To know that someone is thinking about me. To know I mean something to them. To feel cared for and remembered.

That’s it.

A phone call. A text, letter, or email. A short heartfelt message on social media. Even a small gift with a specific personal thought behind it.

But words. Words are my favorite.

Maybe that’s the writer in me, but I’m all about expressing yourself. And maybe the fact that I feel this way is why that’s how I tend to share myself with others. With all of you. But, I digress.

What I’m trying to say is this: I wholeheartedly believe that an expressed thought on its own – nothing but words, spoken or written – is truly the best gift ever