Every year I bake cookies (one of my favorite things to do) and always bake extra so that I can give a plate of cookies to my three closest neighbors. During the past year I have been going for walks and getting together with one of these neighbors. Last year this neighbor gave me a gift for Christmas, after I gave her the gift of cookies. Today we went for lunch together and I gave her my gift of cookies again. She in turn had a gift for me.

I feel terrible because she gave me an actual gift and I only gave her cookies! When this kind of thing happens I never know how I should handle it. It is embarrassing because all I gave her were cookies yet I can't afford to exchange gifts with all of my new friends (I've made quite a few over the past few years). Even my best friend and I stopped exchanging gifts and just go out for dinner or to a show together instead because we can't think of what to get one another that we don't already have.

I said thank you when she gave the gift to me but now that I see what's in it I plan on calling her and thanking her again so I can comment on the great gift(s) she gave me. Next year I'll know to pick something up for her but I'm not sure what to do right now. Is calling and saying thank you enough or should I go buy her an actual gift?