So you forgot how old your nephew is, who hasn’t been there? Last you remember your sister just had a baby, your nephew, Alex, so it makes sense that you should get him some Dino Joggers. They’re a safe bet, after all, dinosaurs managed to go extinct without ever going out of style.
But then you stop and think to yourself, hang on a sec, I think that Alex has had a few birthdays and as a matter of fact I recall seeing him swimming at the beach. And actually you recall that Alex is your niece, not your nephew, and that you do not have a nephew, so you pause and wonder whether or not Alex has a proper swimsuit, and then think that you saw the cutest darn swimsuit and you ought to buy it for her, whether she has a swimsuit or not.
Of course, upon further reflection it crosses your mind that Alex, your niece, is already in school because she has told you that math is her favorite subject and she loves bees and you want to encourage her development in this subject and support her apiary passion, so you buy her a bee-themed pencil case.
Because you no longer trust your memory, you look on your phone and find a great picture of you and Alex at one of her soccer games with orange slices in your mouths. So you decide that the best gift is commemorating the moment you shared together, and you develop the picture and send it to her in a beautiful brass frame.
Rest assured, whatever conundrum of purchasing you find yourself in, it is in fact the thought that counts, and that Alex, niece or nephew, will just be happy that you remembered it was their birthday. Happy celebrating!
Feature Photo by Intricate Explorer on Unsplash