Even if it’s not their love language, giving and receiving gifts can really lift up a person’s spirit; especially when they’re well thought out and personal. Be it a hand-written letter, a homemade dessert that the recipient loves so much, or an addition to their favorite collectables, knowing them well can really play to the gift giver’s advantage.
Since such gifts usually play with people’s heart strings, they tend to remember them for years to come; at least some of the redditors on today’s list did for sure. The male members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community were asked to reveal what was the most thoughtful present they have ever received from a woman, and they shared quite a few wholesome stories. If you’re a softie like me, get ready for some seriously heartwarming accounts, and if you’re not, well, you might just become one after reading the netizens’ answers. Scroll down to find them below.
#1
My wife's birthday is 2 weeks apart from my mom's. Before this past year my mom had never been to Europe before. My wife was turning 30 and my mom turning 60. Instead of planning her own 30th birthday trip, she instead planned a trip for the two of us to take my mom on a trip to Europe for her 60th birthday. It was such an incredibly selfless thing to do and it was a trip of a lifetime for all of us.
Image credits: HogFin
#2
A backpack
we never had that much money at home and so I had to make due with a backpack that had me cursin more often then not, broken zipper, pens slipping out through cracks, the works
and then one day out of the blue, a clasmate presented me with a new backpack, almost same colour as my last one
I never knew why she did that, I still have that backpack and it vexes me to this day.
Image credits: dikkewezel
#3
This may seem like a little thing compared to some, but recently I'd been going at 150% for months. Between work, family obligations, all sorts of stressors in life, I desperately needed some down time and saw no chance for it in the near future.
Then I noticed on the calendar my wife had cleared an entire week and wrote in "khendron is a vegetable" with a cute sketch of a different vegetable every day. Each day I'd ask if there was anything that I needed to do, and she'd just say "No, you are ... an asparagus today. Go do whatever you want." Love that woman!
Image credits: khendron
#4
I got hit by a car 20 some years ago and my brain is a bit scrambled from time to time. Memory comes and goes.
My wife got me a little booklet of receipts and clippings and photos of all these dates/outings we’ve had over the years. She’ll mention to me in conversation and I can’t really recall but seeing the physical memories really brings me back to those moments.
Excuse me while I cry.
Image credits: BlueCollarGuru
#5
My wife is a portrait artist - and an incredibly talented one, at that.
For my first birthday after we met; she went way back through my IG for reference photos and painted a portrait of my beloved dog that'd passed away several years before we met.
It's one of my most very loved possessions.
Image credits: NoIncrease299
#6
There was these Christmas ornaments that my family had when I was a kid. It was a set of 1980 Avon gingerbread man and woman. Their smell always reminded me of Christmas. When I was a teenager our dog ate them. I mentioned this to my wife one day and this last Christmas she somehow found the two ornaments online and gave them to me for Christmas. It was the only gift I ever received that made me cry. I love those ornaments.
Image credits: rich4pres
#7
Tickets to my favourite band that was on my bucket list since a teenager. The concert was in a different country and she hated the genre but went anyway.
Image credits: Paudyyy
#8
A hug from my dispatchers
I hadn't hugged anyone in over a year.
Image credits: anon
#9
A friend I met on Reddit sent me a gold necklace as thanks for being her friend. I still keep it in my nightstand to this day… it was always too small to wear, but it meant a lot to me, being the best gift I have ever received and all…
Edit: she gave me a note with the necklace as well. It reads as follows “My sweet ——, wish I could fit everything I love abt u <3 U the gentlest person I’ve ever met and i’m honored to know u and be loved by u. U cute n loved “ :)
Image credits: TooYoungToBeThisOld1
#10
An ex girlfriend knew how much i loved bubble wrap and when getting to her house greeted me wearing nothing but bubble wrap. i still think about it.
Image credits: CottonStig
#11
My wife gifted me an incredible watch when I earned my masters degree. I’ve worn it proudly and gratefully for 45+ years.
Image credits: pedro-slopez
#12
My wife is the best gift-giver, especially around Christmas. Here are a few of my favorites:
When the Wii first came out, she got up at the butt-crack of dawn, very pregnant, didn't wake me up or tell me she was going anywhere. I thought she went out grocery shopping or something and let me sleep in. When she got home, she told me to go out to the trunk to bring in the groceries and there was a Wii sitting in the trunk. She'd waited in line pregnant all morning to get me a first wave Wii.
Last year or the year before, she gave me a copy of Jay and Silent Bob's Mall Brawl and she made me a custom Clerks comic strip to go along with it that she drew completely by hand on her ipad pro (you can actually see this on my post history).
This year my wife got me really good seats to see Foo Fighters when they come to Seattle, and since tickets are all digital now, she made me custom "tickets" and encased them in an acrylic frame.
Image credits: SweetCosmicPope
#13
My most cherished item is from my late wife. It's a throw blanket with a custom inscription that talks about my dedication to her and how I stuck to my vows. I can barely look at it without getting emotional, let alone talking about it.
Gifts from the heart mean SO much more than toys and c**p bought from Target/Walmart/Amazon, etc. Etsy seems to be the place for meaningful gifts IMO.
Edit: 2nd favorite: Etsy. A custom painting of us sitting at a lake with our current 2 dogs and our other 2 late dogs. The late dogs have wings. The outfits of her and I matched our standard camping outfits. It's still hard to look at these days.
#14
She sent me a birthday card full of glitter and it went everywhere and I was initially so pissed but the card said “this is me being with you always and forever” and omg.
Image credits: itaintme99
#15
I used to work building maintenance at a daycare and was the only man in the building. During my time there I had to put my dog down and ended up taking 2 weeks off work afterwards. When I returned, 4 or 5 of the women I worked with called me into the supervisors office and handed me a bag. They had all chipped in some money to have my late dog’s picture put onto a stone plaque. I immediately broke down and hugged them all. To this day it’s the kindest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.
#16
A coworker bought me a giant bag of candy on my birthday.
It was the most thoughtful because I didn't expect her to get me anything. It was my favorite candy, and one of my favorite foods. It lasted me a long time. She didn't spend a ridiculous amount of money on it. And most importantly, it was all for me.
I've had plenty of "gifts" that were given to me, but weren't meant for me. Or things that were cheap knockoffs that don't last because they didn't actually want to spend money on me. Or something slightly related what I said I wanted, but different enough that it was completely useless to me because it sounds or looks similar so it's good enough, or because they weren't paying attention to what I said.
#17
When I was in 11th grade I was really sad that all the guys in my class had girlfriends and were exchanging gifts on valentines day and I joked about it to my mom not thinking much of it and the next day my mom bought me chocolates and a teddy bear with a heart. My heart melted and I started crying a bit it was really sweet of her.
Image credits: Intelligent_Profit88
#18
My wife is presently overseas awaiting a spousal visa, which could take a year perhaps, so I'm living alone in the interim and we can only communicate via WeChat, or if I travel to see her. I spent Christmas alone (not that I don't have a family: we did Christmas on Christmas Eve instead, so my sister could spend Christmas Day with her in-laws), and I kinda felt like Christmas was cancelled this year because it just felt odd not having my wife be there for the celebration.
Anyway, she got me a calendar. I know that sounds like a minor thing - but she peppered it with notes and drawings and our in-jokes, or the lyrics to songs we sing together. It would've taken her a few hours to fill it in. A lot of it is silly little things: telling me that today might be the day I get that rare mount I've been farming on WoW, or that I should make today a take-away day, or not to share the snacks she packs for me with my bandmates because she packed them *for me* (she's very defensive about food). But it was very sweet, and I bawled my eyes out when I opened it and read it, alone in a house that feels very empty and quiet while I wait for her to come back.
My only hope is that come 2025, she won't need to do the same thing: that she'll be back in the country, visa-approved. I love this calendar, it's truly a beautiful present - but I don't want a second one.
#19
It's sitting right here in front of me. It's an small wooden box that is filled with hand-written cards, each one telling me something she loves about me. It's hard to read because I get emotional.
Image credits: anon
#20
My wife for our first year anniversary got me VIP tickets to a metal festival. She knew I loved concerts and being near or on the stage. She did not want to go but wanted me to have fun.
I got autographed stuff from godsmack and a bunch of other bands like nonpoint and ect.
Image credits: Secret-Guitar-8859
#21
A roll of aged Gouda cheese.
I f*****g love it, but even a slice is expensive, and as we just moved in together, I was not really earning well, and struggled to make ends meet taking my equal share of the costs.
#22
Bit of backstory; I'm a widower and spent a year living with my parents in a depressed rut. Then got a new gf and over the past year or so things have progressed to the point where I stay with her at her house more often than I'm at home, but I don't LIVE there just yet. I have two drawers and a section of the closet but I still officially live with my parents.
So I just had my birthday recently. I came home to her that day to a pile of presents... all amounting to making me more comfortable and at home at her place. Among other things there was a pair of slippers for around the house, my very own coffee mug, and a robe embroidered with my initials.
It didn't bring me to tears but I wasn't too far off. All I could do was to stand there and hug her for a while. Might be the sweetest and most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten. We're still trying to take it slow-ish and not rush to that point but we've both come to the conclusion that I'll be moving in sooner or later. Love that girl.
#23
Early in our marriage, my wife researched, sound-tested and purchased a vintage tube amplifier for this budding young guitarist.
Twenty-five years later, and it’s still a privilege making music through that beautiful piece of sonic engineering. Such an incredible gift!
#24
My wife bought me a plane ticket to LA. urban hiking is one of my favorite things to do, just wander around with no goal in mind and find cool things, take photos, eat lots of good food. i really needed it right then, and LA was one of the few major US cities i hadn't hiked. it was a really great treat. also was just before the pandemic...so it was the last vacation i had before all hell broke loose.
#25
I was living in Alberta in the winter.Broke as f**k.Living in my van -20 Celsius.My ex girlfriend gave me a blanket/comforter that thing kept me alive.That was 12 years ago.She passed away in 2021. I still sleep with that blanket.
#26
I have epilepsy and thanks to that and my meds, i have a horrible memory.
My girlfriend started making my one year anniversary gift the day we started dating. She wanted me to remember everything we did in our first year, and secretly scrapbooked absolutely everything.
Movie tickets, room keys, hundreds of photos, inside jokes, texts we’ve sent eachother, dreams and goals we have, etc. Aside from the blank scrapbook, she made everything herself. All the artwork, design, and layout was original.
It is easily one of the most precious things I own. The fact somebody literally took a year to build something for me without saying anything was unreal.
#27
Flowers. 33 years of buying flowers haven’t ever been given flowers so it was .. really nice and surprising.
Image credits: Mikelarrr
#28
When my 30th birthday hit, my wife had just left me for the man she had cheated with, my family was on vacation out of the country, and none of my friends remembered what day it was. What should’ve been a milestone celebration became one of the bleakest days of my life.
Then I met a woman who lived on the opposite coast. We didn’t really click until our mutual friends got married. That night, we sat on the beach talking until the sun came up, and after she flew home, we kept in touch by phone every morning and every evening.
A few months later, as my 31st birthday approached, she called to say she was coming to stay for two weeks—that was my gift. She also said she’d make up for my 30th. She didn’t lie—those were two of the happiest weeks of my life. And at the end of her stay, we decided to get married. That was over 30 years ago. She’s sitting by the fire as I write this.
#29
My girlfriend gave me a little bullet necklace that contained the ashes of her deceased child who passed away from terminal illness before I came into the picture. Her actual father is a d**g addicted, abusive a*****e. She gave me that and told me I was the father her little girl deserved.
I wish I got to meet you A
#30
When I was younger I only made 5.15/hr at a non-profit org... I worked really hard 40+ hours a week. The struggle was real. Lived in my car for a minute. I cashed my paychecks into 20s, cuz once you break a bill, it's gone... despite being poor, I refused help from anyone. Felt like I had to earn everything.
Somehow I was finally able to get things together and get a place and a dependable car. I wasn't completely worried about where my next meal was coming from....
Found out years later, my girlfriend was slipping 20s into my wallet. She knew I couldn't stomach to count my money all the time, and I would never accept the help... Roof over my head and food in my belly... sneaky b***h touched my soul a little bit.
Image credits: tiredofBS26
#31
My MIL had an uncanny ability to find shirts and jackets for me for Christmas. I usually hate people giving me clothes and I'm difficult to shop for. I never expectied a gift from her but she always found something so I wouldn't be left out of gift opening. Everything she got me always ended up as some of my favorite stuff. I'm still wearing a jacket with a rip in the shoulder because it's one of the warmest most comfortable jackets I have ever own. She passed away 15 months ago and it makes me sad to think of getting rid of anything she got me. F**k cancer.
Image credits: ndc4051
#32
I’m a huge Bo Burnham fan. For my birthday this year my future wife gave me a professionally produced cover of “All Eyes on Me”, vocals by her obviously. I legit bawled for like 15 minutes straight when she put it on.
Image credits: stompenstein
#33
My wife sends flowers to me at work for special occasions. She hates video games but once did like several months of research to come up with something she called “Squirm?” (Skyrim). A+ would marry again (still).
#34
So mine was from an old girlfriend in college. It was before we were dating and she knew I was looking at maybe becoming an actuary and looking into some internships as well.
So for my birthday she got me some nice clothes to interview in and set me up on a call with an actuary who knew her dad to talk to me about the job and see if I had any questions.
We later dated and our relationship ended in a disaster which was too bad because we were such good friends before that.
#35
A surprise birthday party. We’re not together anymore, but she gave me the best day of my life and I had to excuse myself to go the bathroom to cry. She went above and beyond to make it a day to remember. We ended on good terms and it was a great relationship overall, but that day will be remembered for the rest of my life and so will she.
#36
A week ago I received a telescope from my wife for our 10 years wedding anniversary! I absolutely love it!!
#37
My wife is the best gift-giver I've ever met.
I'm not exactly a hard person to buy gifts for. I'm really into collecting anime and video game figures, and I use a hobbyist site to keep track of my collection and my wishlist. So she could easily just buy something off my list and I'd be happy.
She prefers giving more personal gifts though, which means she tries to get me things that I couldn't just buy on my own. So over the years, her gifts have included amazing things like a commissioned plush of my favorite Animal Crossing villager and a vintage ukiyo-e book from 1800s Japan. These are now amongst my favorite possessions.
But my absolute favorite gift she ever got me was a custom Victorian era chair in 1:3 scale, based on my favorite piece of art of one of my favorite anime characters. I own an official 1:3 doll of this specific character in a specific outfit, and for years I'd say in passing that my dream display would be him sitting in that chair. Of course, no such chair existed in that scale, and it was just me thinking out loud.
Last year, she surprised me with that chair. Apparently she had contacted a legitimate furniture maker in Europe who made a similar human-sized chair and convinced them to make a custom one in 1:3 scale, painted to the specifications of the image I like. It's absolutely gorgeous, and spot-on, and the kind of gift that nobody else would really understand other than us. Not afraid to admit I cried when I opened it.
I'm not nearly as good of a gift-giver as she is, but I always write down things she talks about wanting (or wishing existed) in passing to try to plan things for her.
#38
Keep in mind that is a person who doesn't cancel a girls' night for anything. I asked her to pick up some pain meds before she left for the night because we ran out and I've had abdominal pain all day and it was bad enough to where I didn't think it was safe to drive. She cancelled her plans and insisted on taking me to the hospital. Turns out, I had a gallstone stuck and it caused pancreatitis. Doc said I was definitely going to die if I didn't come in.
Sounds like a "well, duh" type thing, but in the context of our relationship at the time, it was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.
#39
Many years ago, my wife bought me...of all things...a record player.
We were just dating at the time and I used to buy a few vinyl records here and there cause I thought the album covers made really cool decorations. I picked up tons of Black Sabbath, Dio, Scorpions, etc. for around $1 each.
Well of her own free will and accord, she ventured out to Circuit City (that should tell you how long ago it was) to track down a quality record player for my collection.
After visiting a few different locations across the city, and enduring confused looks from every store employee, she actually found a store that had one in stock. She said the box actually had dust on it when they gave it to her.
I was so surprised that she had gone through all that trouble and that she was actually able to find a good one! (Like I said, this was probably a decade or so before vinyl was cool again)
I still have that record player, and play my vinyl on it to this day. Hands down the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me!
#40
My kids.
#41
For my last birthday, my brother’s wife got me both volumes of the history of video games AND a game on my wish list!
#42
Tickets to Louder Than Life metal/music festival in Louisville KY last September. Totally surprised me and it was infuckingcredible.
#43
A hand written card.
#44
PS5 and tickets to go see Liverpool vs Arsenal.
#45
Like most men, I have a tough time telling people how I feel and usually just try to make people happy. Years ago I was dating a girl who gifted me a box for Christmas. Inside the box was a bunch of hand written notes from her in envelopes that said things like “open me when you’re feeling sad”.
#46
I had an old photo of my wife in my wallet for about 15 years. It was torn and faded and beyond its best. She found the negative and got 2 copies printed, one for my wallet and another she framed for me.
#47
A flight from Bristol to Glasgow to see my favourite band Heilung.
#48
When I got engaged a female acquaintance of mine took it as an excuse to have a party so she arranged one. It was a lot of fun.
#49
My girlfriend now wife made me a little book with stick figures acting out our special moments like first dates, first "I Love You's" . I cherish it.
#50
On a cruise post covid and occasionally I would head to the bar for a pre dinner drink if my wife wanted to take her time getting dressed. One evening after having a drink I was strolling thru the various gift and jewelry stores and stumbled upon a beautiful Hublot watch, wasnt even familiar with the brand. Elegant but not as flashy as a Rolex. However it was way outside my budget and I really didn't need another watch.
After dinner that nighy both wife and I wandered the same stores and ended up looking at jewelry again...I wanted to buy her something but was unsure what. Glad I was back on the store, the salesperson made it a point to pull out the watch and put it on my wrist and it was gorgeous, he remarked it was even unisex and put it on my wife's wrist and it looked equally stunning.
Right then I considered surprising her with it as a gift. As they do, salesperson said it was on sale, only had 2 pieces in stock and other people had been eying the same watch. We didnt want to make a spur decision and left for the show and didn't give it a 2nd thought.
Next night back getting pre dinner drink, and went to store with in intent to purchase the watch but salesperson told me it was already sold. Was disappointed but felt I ducked a truly nonessential purchase way outside budget.
We then had dinner, and walked stores again before the show. My wife wanted to go back to the jewelry store and we saw the same salesperson and I mentioned to my wife someone bought the watch we looked at the night before.
While my wife looked at jewelry I chatted up the salesperson about watches for a bit, and after a few minutes another salesperson brought out a bag that he handed to him, and the salesperson then presented to me. I was confused, not understanding what he was doing.
He said this is your watch. Confused, I was thinking he was pressuring me for the sale, but instead I asked, 'I thought u said someone bought it".. my wife approached trying to understand what was going on, and the salesperson said , "Yes, your wife bought it for you."
Sweetest surprise she's ever gotten me.
She got some jewelry and scarves in return that she picked out :).
#51
My favourite movie is Ghostbusters, and one Christmas my then girlfriend/now wife got me a canvas print of a still from the movie. It's all 4 characters (merch always seems to leave out Winston) and she got it in black and white. It's so unique and cool and exactly my taste - absolutely one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received.
#52
Socks.
#53
A red rose.
#54
My (now) wife got me a Pavement poster that I saw on Cusack’s wall in high fidelity. Emailed the artist, had a print sent out. Just from me saying once when we watched the movie that I loved the poster.
#55
A sincere compliment.
