June 19th, 2005: A 10 year-old-paced around in his room with a frown on his forehead. He had outdone himself a little over a month ago on Mother’s Day. The surprise for his mom included a freshly-baked cake from scratch, her favourite music compiled into a playlist for her work commute and his room cleaned from top to bottom. He pretended to be sick so he could stay at home and spend the day making sure everything was done.
This time, however, things were ever so slightly trickier. It was a Sunday so both his parents were home and he had procrastinated planning the ideas themselves so it was a messy situation. As he silently scolded himself, his eyes landed on giant pile of old albums that were lying under his bed and it dawned on him. A few hours later he took a step back and admired his work.
He quietly peeked out of his room to check whether his parents had left to go grocery shopping or not. Once it was all set up, he hid in one of the corners of the room and waited for them.
13 year ago, the look on my father’s face is still etched in my memory like it was yesterday. His expression from seeing forgotten photos of him from his younger days, with me, and with the rest of his family and friends strung together by thread and put on display in his room like streamers was nothing short of priceless. Many years later, I’m in a similar dilemma as that day, trying to think of a gift for someone who has everything he could possibly need.
The fact that I was living in another country did not help my case either. So for those in the same boat as me, here are a few suggestions to save the day:
● DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Gifts
○ These are almost always a safe way to go. At the cost of some time and a little bit of your creative energy, these gifts not only hold a lot of sentimental value but also allow you to truly personalize the gift for Daddy dearest.
● Personalized Gifts
○ Not everyone is artistically inclined, and for those people, the internet has sites like Etsy. Go online and order an engraved lighter or a custom Guinness pint glass for him to make it extra special.
● Video Game Recharge
○ If you have someone like my father who spends a lot of time on Nintendo or on the PlayStation or XBOX then doing a mobile top-up on their favourite gaming console just might be the way to go. They get to pick how they spend the money and you don’t have to worry about whether he’ll like it or not.
● Call
○ This is one of the most underrated gifts of all time. If you aren’t in the same town as your father, an online mobile top-up for domestic and cheap international calls via Kwikpay will allow you to wish him (and maybe even promise to call more often!).
The number of ideas is endless but this list’s purpose is to get the juices flowing and spark something. Fathers love us unconditionally year round so I hope this assists you in creating this year’s Father’s Day unique and memorable.
