I’ve mentioned this before, and I can’t help but think that it sounds presumptuous to do so repeatedly, but I’m going to do it anyway. I don’t want anything for my birthday. I already have pretty much everything I want that comes in a wrapped box.

Since I feel that some people will feel obligated to get me something, I have wrestled for the last couple months with trying to figure out some non-gift suggestions. My first thought was for charitable donations in my name, but I honestly could not figure out any cause that was particularly meaningful to me; this is not to say that there aren’t worthy charities out there, I just have some trouble identifying with them.

Next, I thought maybe a phone call or card would be nice. Actually, I still think it’s not a bad idea, but it sort of nonspecific.

Tonight, I was inspired by the phrase, “it’s the thought that counts.” So my question is, if money was no object, what would you get for me? It seemed sort of cool because I do know some rather thoughtful and creative people who would come up with some genuinely creative thoughts. Then, I thought, it’s still sort of materialistic. What if time were no object? A little more interesting, but then I think it begins to get into the territory where most people would rather just buy something at the store than do all that thinking.

So, I’m back to nothing. Don’t get me anything. I have just about everything that I could want, and the more I get, the more difficult it becomes to appreciate what I have.