When I was seven months pregnant, my friend Megan promised she had the “perfect gift” for me. She wouldn’t tell me what it was—only that it was something thoughtful and personal. I was touched by the excitement in her voice, and I couldn’t wait to see what she’d chosen.
A few weeks later, a package arrived at my sister Jenna’s house. Jenna called me, laughing. “You’ll never guess—Megan sent me a baby blanket. But I’m not pregnant.”
The Confusion
I was baffled. Megan knew Jenna and I were close, but there was no reason she’d send her a baby blanket. “What did it look like?” I asked.
Jenna described it—a soft cream knit with tiny embroidered stars. My heart sank. That sounded exactly like something Megan would choose for me.
I texted Megan:
“Hey, did you mean to send Jenna a baby gift? She got one today.”
Her reply came quickly:
“Oh no! That was supposed to be for you. I must’ve mixed up the addresses.”
The Uneasy Feeling
Mistakes happen, but something about it didn’t sit right. Jenna’s address wasn’t even in the same city as mine. Plus, the gift had a handwritten note attached:
“Couldn’t think of anyone better for this—love you!”
That didn’t sound like a shipping accident.
Talking to Megan
When I called her, she laughed it off. “I had two blankets made—one for you, one for Jenna. I guess the tags got swapped. I didn’t mean for it to be weird.”
But the thing was—Jenna didn’t even have kids, nor was she planning to. Why make her a baby blanket at all? It felt like my special gift had been diluted into a generic gesture.
Why It Hurt
Pregnancy is a deeply personal, emotional time. Gifts for expecting parents aren’t just about utility—they’re about the relationship between giver and receiver. I had thought Megan’s present would be something uniquely for me and my child, but now it felt like an afterthought.
The Aftermath
Jenna offered to send me the blanket, but by then, the sentiment behind it felt different. I thanked her but decided to keep the one Megan eventually gave me instead—though I couldn’t help wondering if it was truly “mine” or just the leftover from her mix-up.
Moving Forward
I didn’t end my friendship with Megan over it, but I stopped expecting the same level of thoughtfulness from her. It wasn’t about the blanket—it was about realizing that not everyone puts the same emotional weight on these gestures as I do.
Lessons Learned
When you give a gift, especially for a major life event, the thought and intention behind it matter just as much as the item itself. And when you’re on the receiving end, it’s okay to admit when a gesture doesn’t land the way you hoped.
Final Thought
A gift can lose its magic when it feels like it wasn’t meant uniquely for you. In moments that matter most, personal connection is worth more than anything that comes in a box.
