Recently I received a gift from a visiting relative — a new shirt. I took one look at the shirt and thought to myself, “This does not look like my style at all. I’m not sure I can see myself wearing this.” Still, I thanked her and politely received the gift.

Now, in all honesty, my normal response in this situation would probably be to stow it away until her departure and then decide what to do with it. But as I took the gift off to my room, I got to thinking about how much this relative loves giving gifts and seeing them enjoyed; so I opted for another tactic.

Instead of tucking the shirt away somewhere, I cut the tags off and decided to make it my outfit for the day. When I looked at myself in the mirror, it still didn’t strike me as “my style,” but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. So once I was fully dressed, I came sashaying into the room, runway model-style, so that my visitor could see me wearing her gift. She was overjoyed. Immediately, she took out her cell phone and started snapping pictures. And all that joy came to her simply because I was willing to branch out in “my style” for a day and consider her feelings over my own.

Perhaps my action was inspired by my husband. One of the many things I love about him is how visibly excited he gets when receiving gifts. To witness his unrestrained enthusiasm on his birthday or Christmas, you would be convinced he were a little boy in a grown man’s body.

When he receives a gift, he will immediately try it on or use it right there on the spot. If it’s a shirt, he puts it on over the one he’s wearing. If it’s shoes, he kicks off his current pair and exchanges it for the new ones. (I’ve seen him spend Christmas morning in various layers of pajama pants and sweatshirts!) If it’s a remote control helicopter (yes, he did ask for one of those just a few years ago!), he’ll have that thing out of the box and careening around the room faster than you can say, “Watch out!”

But along with his contagious enjoyment and enthusiasm, I’ve noticed something else. It’s the way that he makes everyone else in the room feel, particularly the givers of the gifts. His response makes them feel special; for they have the satisfaction of feeling that they have been part of bringing him a moment of sheer delight. It’s so much more gratifying than a simple “Thanks!” as you watch the recipient fold up the gift and wait for the next box.

Is every gift truly that exciting to my husband? I can’t say for sure. But if it’s not, you’d never know. I think a lot of it has to do with attitude. My husband is grateful for whatever gifts he receives, but more than the gifts, he is grateful for the people giving them and wants them to know that.

All of this reminds me that so much in life has to do with our response. Do we take the simple gifts we receive with an obligatory ‘thanks,” wishing that the blue turtleneck were a red scoop-neck instead? Or do we stop to consider the giver and the thought and effort that went into the gift? If we do the latter, perhaps our responses would be less restrained and more filled with unbounded joy. Perhaps we would make the act of giving and receiving gifts a true celebration that goes beyond any material item and strikes at the beauty of relationships.