I just finished my annual reading of To Kill a Mockingbird. As long as I live, I will read this novel. And for me, there’s a bonus. Every time I pick up the book, I’m reminded of a special graduation gift I gave to someone.

Let’s face the facts. Since the gift card came along it’s made true gift giving a dying art. Yes, I’ve used them but reluctantly because I think they reduce gift giving to a thoughtless ritual. I’ve even talked about when I perform saying, “If someone gives you a gift card, what they’re really saying is, ‘I feel obligated to buy you something, but I don’t care enough about you to look for anything.’”

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