I did an Ancestry DNA test a few years ago and ended up finding an older sister a few states over.
My mother, father, and I have taken different approaches to giving her and her family gifts. I've sent books, of course, and so did my mother. But, they didn't get an enthusiastic reception. And books are about 90 percent of my gift-giving.
Then my mother took my idea of giving out events as gifts and started applying it. I like doing that because I then go to the event with them. I make sure that I get one I'll like, so no matter what happens the gift is at least appreciated by one person. Lol. Being a few states away it's a bit different in this case, but events are still fun gifts.
Last year my mother sent them family tickets to a movie theater near them in Nebraska. That worked out well. Now that theater is out of business. My mother looked around for something else. She almost got paintball passes, but they only got you in the door and a family would end up having to spend hundreds of dollars more for rental equipment. Plus, it's a weird year with not knowing what's open and what's closed. I ended up sending a double pack of the Wizard Card Game, which is quite fun. In the end mom decided that the only real solution was to send plain old money.
Mom asked me if I wanted to sign the card, and I decided to write a poem. She was a bit surprised at how quickly I could grab a pen and pad and compose such verse, so full of mirth. Here's what I created.
'Tis in our intention,
to give a gift of joy.
Yet it has come to our attention,
when searching for such a ploy,
that normal activity has fallen into dereliction,
for the world alike of girl and boy.
Thus accept our token of affection,
and buy your own toy.
It's an excellent poem for a gift card with money, and fits perfectly for this year. If only Hallmark knew what they were missing.
Find more at JeffThinks.com or JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com