Best Way to Come Up With a Going Away Gift

There are few thing harder than saying goodbye to a friend. An exception might be picking out a going away gift.

They can be tricky. That’s probably why Hallmark doesn’t have a “Going Away Gifts” aisle in its stores.

Here’s my #1 rule for going away presents – give something that means something.

If your gift item doesn’t hold special meaning, then there’s no point in giving it. Your friend doesn’t need more stuff to haul in the moving truck. It’s full as it is!

The best way to come up with a meaningful going away gift is to reflect on your friendship and HOW you spent time together.

What was your “thing?’ Did you bond by going to the movies, eating at new restaurants or attending your favorite team’s sporting events?

Now, think of a gift that ties in with what you enjoyed doing together.

If you liked going to the movies or out to eat, you could get a gift card to a movie theater or a popular restaurant where he or she will be living. If you liked attending sporting events, you could get him or her new fan gear, maybe even buy yourselves matching shirts or hats! You could also frame a photo of the two of you at a game.

My friend Beth and I loved dressing up to go out to eat, drink and dance. We also bonded by volunteering with Girl Scouts.

We helped start our council’s young professionals group and an annual event called “Earn Your Shopping Badge” that raised money for Gold Award scholarships. The Gold Award is the highest honor awarded in Girl Scouting. Beth co-chaired the group for two years and did a fabulous job leading it!

I wanted to give her a Girl Scouts memento to commemorate the impact she made in the organization and to represent the fun times we had volunteering for such a worthwhile cause.

For her going away present, I gave Beth a Girl Scouts 100th anniversary pin. I also wrote her a letter in which I said, “I hope we’re friends for the next 100 years!”

Get sentimental all over their butt. You love them and you’ll miss them, so let them know it!

The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.  – Hubert H. Humphrey