The following is meant to help those who really do mean well. If you’re just a careless shopper, you deserve anything giving duplicate gifts might bring you, including, but not limited to, having a gift thrown at you and listening to the “you don’t think I’m special” speech. With that said…

Someone asked me today if it was okay that they got the same present for both their girlfriend and their sister for Christmas. Now, this person didn’t do this because they’re lazy. They really did think the item they found would be a great gift for both their girlfriend and sister – and that they would both love it. And they both might.

However, the answer to this question is still NO. It’s not okay to get your girlfriend and sister the same thing for Christmas. Because even if they do both love it, when one of them realizes that the item was not picked for her alone, love will most likely turn to something else.

Why? Because I’m thinking one of two thoughts occurred when the item was found:

“My sister will love this! And my girlfriend would like it too.”

or

“My girlfriend will love this! And my sister would like it too.”

Would you want to be the “too” person? (I assure you that it will be your girlfriend, not your sister, who will accuse you of thinking of her “too”)

–The fact that all three people are Jewish isn’t really relevant to the point I am trying to make here, but I just can’t skip over it.–