One birthday started with a friend taking me to the mall to buy me a shirt I had had my eye on. Then she took me to one of our favorite restaurants to have lunch with two more friends. Then we went to a park where more friends showed up. It was all a surprise, I had no idea about any of it except hanging out at the mall. They knew I had always wanted a surprise party as a kid but never got one, so they planned it for me. I still smile whenever I think about it.

a steel 1,5L waterbottle. filled everyday twice since then

so simple, so effective. everyday life buddy

I got a leatherman multitool as a teenager that I still use weekly.

My brother just got me a card for my 39th birthday but what the card is of, showed he actually knows something about me and meant a lot to me.

There’s probably other things too but your comment got me thinking about this t-shirt that was hand painted for me by a good friend / crush / over all influential person for me. Back when I was still in my hippie phase.

It’s unfortunately not wearable now. It was already not new to start with and this is from 15 to 20 years ago. So it’s got a tear or two and the material is fragile these days. Been thinking of what to do with it, possibly might frame it or something.

i’m older than most of you but i just got my favorite present ever this year. My girlfriend got me a moonstone necklace and (even though she’s not really a believer) she took it out on a full moon and bathed it in moonlight and asked Hecate to bless it for me by way of a beautiful poem that she wrote that i can’t read without sobbing.

It’s the only thing i own that I consider treasure and I rarely take it off.

My eldest son gave me a bracelet that has the date I adopted him engraved on the underside of it. It has sharp edges. Here’s my keyboard left hand side because of it :D

What was yours?

My son (5 at the time) gave me a picture of us for Christmas that my ex took years earlier of us walking downstairs heading to the 4th of July celebrations, holding hands. I didn’t even know that pic existed for 3 years and it was framed in a pretty, futuristic minimalist kinda frame like my style and it’s my favorite thing ever. She asked him what he wanted to give me for Christmas and that’s what he said. It’s the one thing I’m grabbing if the house catches fire. I’ve even thought about buying several of the same frames online and copying the picture to make sure I have a backup, it’s that treasured to me.

JFYI: I’m not in prison or anything and he’s alive and healthy, and me and his mom get along. There’s no hidden sad story here, it’s just a beautiful picture of a cherished moment.

Arguably my dog.

Emotional support dumplings. Coworker got it for my birthday and it’s one of the first times someone has bought me something without me telling them what to buy 😂

My bff got me a personalised t shirt with something really nice written on it. It is glorious and I was very touched

Godzilla.

Now, I’ve had plenty of amazing gifts over the years.

But, back when I was 5, I had recently seen Godzilla on tv, and fell in love.

Well, Mattel had recently put out a Godzilla toy. He had wheels on his feet, a hand that you could launch by pressing a button (why? Because.), and a lever on the back that would make a plastic ribbon with flames painted on it come out of his mouth.

If you don’t Indians understand exactly how fucking boss that shit is, I feel sorry for you.

Over years of play, he did get his toenails broken, and his tail has a crack in it. But everything still works. By the time I stopped playing with him, he was the last toy I put in storage.

Years later, I had the freedom to decorate however the fuck I wanted. Now, he sits on top of the little hutch that is part of my computer desk in our bedroom, watching over us 24/7

Nothing else, not even the fire truck I got at Christmas that year, has as much nostalgia and joy in it for me. That was around 45 years ago, and I still smile every fucking time I look at him.

Back in my 20s my oldest brother came to visit, one thing led to another and we were in a car accident (while I was driving) in the former Yugoslavia. We were ok, but the rental VW Golf was totaled and we had to spend a couple unexpected weeks in country.

I got the keys from him one Christmas about 10 years ago, the bastard.

Probably my bamboo scroll of 茶经 (The Classic of Tea). SO sprung that on me one day out of the blue. It’s been the centrepiece of my tea photo essays and of any fancy tea setups I have with guests ever since.

Gotta say, the Lovense Gush 2 my fiancée got me is pretty fucking amazing…

We’re in an LDR, so it’s a way for me to feel connected to her while we are separated by literally thousands of kilometres

It can be app-controlled over the internet, but that’s not really our thing