My husband surprised me with my “something blue” for our wedding by giving me a handkerchief with my new initials and the date in blue thread. What truly made it special was my “something old” was a monogrammed handkerchief from my late PopPop. I kept them both in my dress pockets the entire day and night.
Tiffany Zask,
Cherry Hill
One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received was a letter from my grandmom that was folded up inside one of my birthday cards one year. She had typed all of her favorite memories with me over the years. It is something I will hold onto forever, and it’s worth more to me than any gift she could buy.
Rachael Bonewicz,
Cherry Hill
To me the best gift of all is time and unconditional love. But if I had to pick a physical gift, I would say my tan slippers from my sons. I love slippers, and my boys bought me the most comfortable, beautiful pair knowing I live in them once I am home.
Lisa Bien, Marlton
Before we could buy anything and everything on the internet, my husband once “persuaded” a movie theater manager with a box of donuts to order a poster of my favorite movie, “When Harry Met Sally.” You couldn’t just buy a movie poster back then, only theaters had them, and when the movie stopped showing, you never saw that poster again. Times have changed, but that special poster still hangs in my house.
Dorinda Chancell,
Medford
My car’s windshield wipers had stopped working properly. While I was at work, my boyfriend at the time came to my job and replaced them in the parking lot – in the pouring rain – as a total surprise to me. To this day I still think about that with fondness as a very thoughtful (and practical) surprise.
Gina Ozhuthual, Ocean City
I’m petrified of the dentist, and I had to have a tooth pulled. When I arrived home, there was an arrow on the floor pointing to my refrigerator. When I opened the door there was Jello, yogurt and ice pops with a sweet note from my friend.
Beth Segal, Cherry Hill
The most thoughtful gift I have ever received was from my mother and aunt. My grandmother passed away about
10 years ago, and she had this fabulous fur coat that I have admired since I was a child. My mom and aunt told me they were going to sell it, and then this year I received a large package for my birthday – my grandmother’s fur coat. It brought tears to my eyes… a gift I will never forget!
Drew David, Erial
I’m not big on celebrating my birthday, but when I turned 30 I made it known. Someone who I had worked with for years surprised me with 30 assorted and dynamically-flavored cupcakes from one of my favorite bakeries. The gift was different (delicious) and personalized. It was one of the best surprises I have ever received, because it made me feel special.
Teresa Sydorko, Hamilton
My friend gave me the book, “Brown Girl Dreaming.” She said she loved reading it to her granddaughter, and thought I’d enjoy it. As a brown girl who loves words, I was awed by the author’s skill at telling her life story with a poem that read like a novel.
Kyle Ruffin, Hainesport
My husband is a businessman, but he’s always talked about wishing he could open a restaurant. (He likes to cook but I don’t know that he’s qualified to be a chef.) So one year for his birthday,
I asked the owner of a restaurant we frequented if he would let my husband cook there. We did it on a Monday, the restaurant’s slowest night, and I emailed all my friends to come there for dinner. And they did. To make it even better, the restaurant had an open kitchen so we could see my husband cook.
Meredith Chang, Cherry Hill
My dad passed away in November 2012 a few weeks prior to Christmas. Despite her grieving, my mom gave my sister and
I each a necklace with his birthstone as our Christmas present. It was thoughtful and meaningful during a difficult time.
Laura Reese, Mantua
I would have to say a drawing made by my fiancé (now husband) for celebrating my college graduation. It was of me in my cap and gown, and he had to work on it in secret since we lived together at the time. It was very special.
Katherine Blair, Cherry Hill
The most thoughtful gift I have ever received is a small book of bible scriptures meant to be read daily. My father, a minister, gave it to me more than a decade ago. It was his way of softly reminding me of the important things in life. While I am not a particularly religious person, I keep the book within reach of my desk at all times. It’s a wonderful stress relief.
Joe Cardona, Elmer
