Get Well Gifts That Can't Be Bought

• Give roses, or any pretty flowers, from your garden.bouton de rose rose image by Jean-Michel POUGET from Fotolia.com
  
  The most thoughtful and appreciated get-well gift is often the one you can't buy in the store or order online. When someone is recuperating from an illness or surgery, the person is typically tired and unable to complete their typical daily activities and chores. Whether housebound or in hospital, a personal touch may do more to cheer the patient than any store-bought gift.
  
  

Meals

• A home-cooked meal for the patient or the patient's family, is gift that feeds the body as well as the spirit. Before giving a meal as a gift, consider the patient and the patient's dietary preferences, and don't make it too complicated. Select something that is easy to serve and clean up; keep the mess down to a minimum, so you aren't creating more work with your gift.
  
  

Pets

• Offer to walk the patient's dog or care for his pets as your gift. If your friend or family member has a pet, and is recovering from an illness or surgery, it may be difficult for him to walk his dog, or properly care for his animals. Volunteer to come over to pick up dog droppings, clean litter boxes, and walk Rover.
  
  

Books

• Volunteer to pick up books or videos at the library, for your friend to read or view, while recuperating. In some instances, the patient might appreciate you reading the book aloud. Young children or those with eye problems or limited energy levels might especially appreciate this gift.
  
  

Flowers

• You don't need to visit the florist or flower shop to give the classic get-well gift, flowers. Create a floral bouquet with cut flowers taken from your yard, or from the yard of an agreeable neighbor or friend. If you live in an area where wild flowers are in bloom, make an arrangement from wild flowers. Yet, only take flowers from areas where gathering wildflowers is allowed, and avoid flowers which may cause a nasty allergic reaction, such as the lovely lavender scorpion weed, found in the Arizona dessert. Although pretty to look at, the scorpion weed causes an unpleasant rash and can make some very ill.
  
  

Crafts

• Cheer up the patient by making a gift. It need not be an elaborate craft project, for even a small token will show you took time out of the day to think of the person while creating the gift. It might be something whimsical like jewelry made from dyed pasta, or a practical gift such as a cozy knitted blanket or a personal scrapbook.