Shopping through catalogues is more than a way to avoid crowds. The world of gifts is fundamentally about the world of social relations. In a large society like America, we lose relationships over time. Part of us thinks that the perfect gift to make that connection is out there somewhere, if we can only find it. That's why looking for gifts is so stressful.
Gifts always carry something of the giver.
That's the power of a gift. Things become more than just things. They reflect the person giving, the person receiving, and the relationship between them. A gift carries the mark of you. This is something that has a part of me with it.