Receiving presents can generate a wide range of feelings for someone who receives them, but these emotions would probably be more intensified when receiving gifts that are unexpected. Whether these are from people such as your work colleagues or family, you might catch yourself asking: “How do you say thank you for an unexpected gift?” or, “Is there a meaningful way to say thank you?”
Let’s go ahead and discuss some ideas below such as finding uncommon ways for saying thanks, how to say thanks to people from work or those with closer relationships to you, as well as crafting great thank you messages.
How do you say thank you in a unique way?
I want to start by saying congratulations to you for being a champion in life – cultivating an attitude of gratitude is always a great thing. While the intention of giving thanks may have come to you quite easily, you may also now be finding yourself drawing blanks in your mind on how to thank someone for an unexpected gift.
This is understandable, especially since you may be feeling that there is some level of pressure on your part to find the best way to say thank you for a generous gift. Just like the number of possible gifts that you may receive, there are also an equivalent infinite number of ways by which you can thank someone, but the most heartfelt “thank you” ideas for unexpected gifts can also often be the most unique ones – especially if you decide to make use of the talents which you have.
Take note, that you don’t necessarily have to say or write eloquent words to someone when you are thanking them. Are you a professional chef or are you known as an authority when it comes to baking? Maybe you can go ahead and prepare an exclusive full-course meal or whip up a batch of your fudgy chocolate chip cookies.
Do you and your brother have a favorite spot where you eat brunch together, or maybe you know something that you are good at that your gift giver needs help in? You could give your gift giver one of your paintings, or that beautiful flower that you carefully tended in your garden.
Just go ahead and give them the best of your talents, as well as also make use of how well you know them for finding items that would be suited for their personality or lifestyle. The hard work and effort you put in for finding the best way to thank them, whether through your words or actions, can be seen in the results and will surely be appreciated on their part.
How do you thank friends and family for unexpected gifts?
There is a very distinct advantage when giving thanks to your family and friends, and that is because you have a vast level of knowledge as well as several experiences that have been shared with them. You can use that knowledge to give thanks to them in ways that would really be more meaningful between you two, such as the situations that follow:
How to Say Thank You for an Unexpected Gift from Your Girlfriend
It should not come as a surprise if you receive a great unexpected gift from your girlfriend, since she is probably the person with who you had spent a great number of epic misadventures. To some degree, you may even be thinking of her as the sister you never had, because of everything you have gone through with her.
While a material gift may also be great, it would also be enhanced by knowing that it is exactly what your girlfriend wants or appreciates. Maybe you can give her an odd item which will remind her of an inside joke or a special memory of a time together that you share, which although most people would not be able to understand, will reassure her of your special place in each other’s lives. If you happened to not be spending as much time as you once did with your girlfriend, maybe this is the perfect opportunity that has presented itself to go and create some more memories together such as a quick weekend getaway.
How to Say Thank You for an Unexpected Gift from Your Sister
The age range of your sister may have a big influence on the way by which you would give thanks to her. If she is younger and entering or in her teens, maybe you could be the first adult to introduce makeup in her life? Aside from getting her your favorite lipstick or other cosmetic products, you could also be personally there to teach her how to apply them properly. For a sister who is in young or later adulthood, you can choose to share some life hacks in the kitchen or your secret recipe that always gets great reviews from guests. One of the best things that you could do is also to have a sisters’ day or night out, such as paying for a relaxing spa package for you two and then grabbing a meal at your favorite café. These events would help you catch up on what is happening in each other’s lives, while also getting yourselves pampered and rejuvenated.
How to Say Thank You for an Unexpected Gift from Your Brother
There are men who are not as expressive as women, especially with their words, and if your brother happens to be one of them, that could really explain a lot as to how and why he got a great unexpected gift for you since he probably put in his whole focus on that. Again, the type of gift that you would get your brother would also depend on the hobbies and interests that would be normal for his age range.
If he is just in his teens, you can buy him a jersey of his favorite players such as Stephen Curry of the NBA, or Lionel Messi if he loves football. You can also buy him any of the video games for his gaming console, as well as that Funko Pop Minecraft collectible if he also happens to be into that game.
For your brother who is in early or late adulthood, you could also find ways to get tickets for upcoming big games such as March Madness, the NBA Finals, or the NFL Super Bowl, if you happen to have friends that work with the organizers of these events. It would also be great if you could spend the time together during these events in order to further strengthen your special brother-sister bond.
How to Say Thank You for an Unexpected Gift from Your Husband
For any great husband, it would probably be one of the top things on their mind to consistently make him feel special and loved. Nevertheless, it seems only right to also make him feel the same way, and to let him know how he is deeply appreciated, especially when you know how much effort to not only give you a gift but most likely, even surprise you about it. The great thing about your gift-giver being your husband is that you will be at a level of comfort and familiarity with him that would ideally be more than what you share with most people. You do not have to do something completely unreasonable to impress him, and just go do the things that he really loves.
Maybe you can prepare his favorite pork chop or steak meal for dinner? If he is a DIYer, you could buy him the tools he needs for tinkering with his car or for repairing things around the house (this may have the unintentional benefit for you of having more things getting fixed). If he has an enthusiast about anything else or has a weekend hobby like fishing, bowling, or cycling, you should consider buying him the equipment for those as well, such as a new fishing rod, bowling bag, or bicycle. You just have to remember the times when he told you what thing it was that he wanted or that excited him, in order to find out what item you need to purchase if ever. Don’t forget that you can also further express your gratitude to him through simple physical acts such as hugging or kissing him.
How do you thank people from your work?
Saying thank you to people you work with may have its advantages as well as challenges, especially in the case of finding how to say thank you for an unexpected gift from your boss. There may be some anxiety when thinking of what to give somebody who has a higher salary than you, and because of that, probably already owns a lot of the nice things that are available in the market, such as gadgets. If in a likely situation that your officemates had chipped in together to buy you a gift, you can consider treating them to a pizza for the next meeting or tomorrow’s lunch break. Do not forget to say a few words if you can, to thank them for having taken the time and effort to give you an unexpected gift. If you were given a gift by your boss or a co-worker and not a group of your colleagues, this would merit taking a more personal approach in recognition of how they took the trouble for getting your present.
A handwritten note would be advisable since there may not be too many to write in this situation, which would hopefully also be combined with a gift, no matter how small, that would be linked to their interests. Instead of golf clubs, maybe you can ask around so you can purchase accessories such as the best sweat-free golf cap to further improve their game. Maybe it can even be something to enhance their work environment such as a plant they can keep on top of their desk. Although you may not match the financial cost of their gift, do put in the effort to try and find out what they like so that you can give a well-thought-out thank you as well as present in return.
How to thank someone for their birthday?
If you were given a gift for your birthday, it might also seem appropriate to think of how to thank them on their birthday as well. It doesn’t have to be a specific item that you need to give them – one great idea that you could work on maybe for you to spearhead or help to organize their surprise birthday party. This doesn’t have to be a question of being the biggest donor in terms of funding the event but may again be more about putting in the time and effort in finding out what their interests are or what would be amazing for them.
You can choose to leverage your list of contacts, especially friends, since you may be working in different fields that could widen the scope of options available for you. It can be something as spectacular as getting tickets for exclusive events such as concerts, or something as simple as offering to tutor their children with schoolwork that you or your friends are good at, and which they may be finding difficult.
If they are a little advanced in their age, an audiovisual presentation or video detailing their remarkable lives would almost certainly be appreciated. This may require some coordination on your part with their loved ones to collect photos and messages that are personally meaningful to the celebrant.
How to say thank you for an unexpected gift of money?
Receiving money as a gift can be relatively uncommon, especially when you are well into your adult life. One of the possible exceptions could be when you are specifically requesting gifts in the form of cash for your wedding since you are just starting out with your family life, or when you decide to raise some money for charity work instead of receiving other types of items for your birthday.
So, when the time comes that you do receive a gift in the form of money that you happen to not ask for, it would then really be a surprise. It would do you well to extend a personal thank you to your gift giver, as well as make a customized item or experience for them if you have a particularly exceptional talent or network to accomplish it. This can be done whether immediately or in the future, depending also on their schedule or need for it.
How to return an unexpected gift?
It may be quite an unlikely scenario, but sometimes you may want to return the gift and thank the person who gave it. One possible reason would be that receiving the gift somehow feels inappropriate for you – such as when the value of the gift seems too much when compared to the level of your relationship with the giver. While there may seem to be some awkwardness with the situation, do not doubt the thought of still wanting to express your appreciation of them. Receiving the gift may already be out of the question for you, but it would still be a praiseworthy move on your part to recognize the time and effort that its giver had put in to buy your gift. Whether you think that a face-to-face encounter or written message would be more applicable, this situation would call for you to still be kind and respectful in your actions as well as your words.
How to write and send thank you messages?
After receiving an unexpected gift, it is only normal for you to have the desire to express everything you are feeling inside in words, but you may also catch yourself nervously thinking: “What is the best message of gratitude for a gift?” or “What should I write on my work thank you card?” Aside from this, let’s go ahead by first having a discussion on how do you send the thank you message itself. Technology has made it possible for several options to be available for you which include making handwritten notes, saying thanks personally, sending email messages, or posting on social media.
There is something deeply personal about making a handwritten note, but it could sometimes already be acceptable, such as when all your work colleagues are your Facebook friends, to simply thank them on social media or via email. No matter the media which you would choose, it would remain important for you to take the time in creating your message, which would ideally be personalized for every recipient. Here are some examples which you can copy or help inspire with finding your own words for that personalized thank you note for each gift-giver:
For Someone Who Gives You Money
“Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity. I would like to say that the money you had given me was totally unexpected, but also definitely appreciated on my part. Rest assured that your gift will not go to waste and be put to good use.”
For Your Boss or Work Colleagues
“They say that you will never work a day in your life when you love what you do, but I guess it’s times like these when I feel especially blessed since I’m also together with people I love to work with. I have never felt our company as more of a workplace than it is my second family since I have always felt welcome and accepted from my first day onboard. Please know that I am also here for you, that you can depend on me to help you in whatever way I can as well. Thank you very much again for your very amazing gift as well as for everything else that you do.”
For a Girlfriend
“You have always been my partner in crime, best friend, and trusted keeper of secrets. Thank you for the amazing gift – you really do know me like the back of your hand is. I will never forget this amazing memory, as well as how you have really become family by sticking with me through my various highs and lows. Our circumstances in life may change, but I would never want our special friendship to ever be lost. Always take care and I love you!”
For a Brother or Sister
“Thanks for the gift which was truly great, but more importantly, for always being such a great brother/sister and a lifelong buddy for me. It is because of our family that I have come to not only know the definition of the word from just the dictionary but also be blessed with the opportunity to personally experience and live it. I still am looking forward to sharing more happy memories and achievements in the future with you. Always take care and I love you.”
For Your Husband
“Even though we do know a lot about each other, probably in more ways than others would ever really get to know about us, I am still amazed by how you can still manage to surprise me even up to now. I love you very much, and I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful gift you gave, aside from continuing to remain as the greatest blessing that I have ever received in my life.”
For Returning a Gift
“I would like to give you my sincere thanks for the gift you gave me, but unfortunately, I cannot find it in myself to accept it. Please do accept my heartfelt apology, and please believe that I also wish you all the best.”
Don’t hesitate to use your own words or to customize any of the messages above as much as you like to make them sound as authentically you as possible. Your message will also be able to connect more successfully with the recipient when they mention details that are known to both of you, such as a special shared experience or memory from the past.
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