A high-school-graduation-gift etiquette question:
This Friday there is a graduation party for three graduates. I know two of them: one the daughter of my faux-son, who I see frequently, and one the son of my brother-in-law, who I haven't seen since he was itty bitty but is an actual relative. The third person I don't know but is probably the daughter of someone I know peripherally.
Faux-son has suggested a gift card for food for his daughter, as she's going away to college and will need sustenance, and I figured the same for nephew. I suspect I should provide a gift for the third graduate as well, since she's also an honoree of the party. Can I get away with differing denominations on the cards, in degree of how well I know said person? I don't want to drop $75 for graduation presents.
Connie, you can totally do different amounts, and I wouldn't give anything beyond a card to the person you don't know.
Don't think of it as missing a deadline, think of it as underscoring your indispensability to the company!
This reminds me of a funny thing I heard recently from the head of USAID -- they aren't silos, they are cylinders of excellence!
Yipes, shooting at UCLA makes me nervous. DH just texted me, so he's safe.
Phew.
Thank you Burrell. That is good to hear.
I wouldn't give anything beyond a card to the person you don't know.
Oh, cards! Of course. I am so out of the habit of giving presents outside of "Here, I saw this and thought of you" that I've forgotten presentation options.
Connie, you can totally do different amounts, and I wouldn't give anything beyond a card to the person you don't know.
Yeah, if it were me, I probably wouldn't even do a card for the person I don't know. I don't think it would be expected of you to give her a gift.
If the graduates do open their gifts at the party, it's not like they'll open gifts that have been grouped by giver (like, "Here are all 3 gifts from Uncle Fester: one for daughter of faux-son, one for son of brother-in-law, and one for graduate #3! Uh-oh, Connie has only provided gifts for 2 of the graduates!"). Gifts tend to be put in loose piles for each recipient, so if you opt to not give a gift to the graduate who you don't know, it certainly won't stand out.
Anyone crass enough to ask why person X didn't get a card is the rude one.
True, the odds of them comparing notes on who gave what are low. But cards are cheap, if Grad #3 is who I think it is, her grand-parents have been friends of mine and Hubby's for decades.
Which reminds me that we have a graduation gift to get for this weekend. Sheesh, 3 of the niecephews have bought houses in the past several months, 1 had a new baby, and 1 just graduated from high school. Lots to celebrate, and a lot of gift cards. (Tim didn't understand why there aren't baby showers for second babies. "They still need diapers!" he said. So we sent them a Target gift card, but I suggested they buy some chocolate and wine for themselves, too.)
her grand-parents have been friends of mine and Hubby's for decades.
I just realized how old that statement makes me feel. Bad enough that the children of people I've known forever are graduates, but the grand-children of people I've known forever are graduates--and not even the oldest grand-children!
30 years should not pass so stealthily.
