There’s still time to find the perfect gift.

You’ve been reminded of that by countless retailers as we close in on Christmas Day. And while you may have already completed your Christmas shopping, there’s still those nagging thoughts: Will they really like what I got? Might they already have this? Could this be a disappointment?

My parents taught me that Christmas wasn’t just about getting, although like most kids that’s what I focused on. Christmas was also about giving. I wondered how this was going to work. At 9 years old I didn’t have the money or the means to go shopping even if I knew what they wanted.

Yet, I was old enough to know if I came up empty handed, I would feel I had let them down.

They didn’t make it any easy either.

“What would you like for Christmas?” I’d ask.

The frequent answer was, “make me something.” Now that wasn’t helpful.

“Like what?”

“Well, maybe a picture,” my mother would say. She was an artist, so making a picture for an artist was intimidating, especially for one who didn’t hold back on the criticism. My sister and I made Christmas cards, but that always seemed inadequate.

Whoever came up with the idea of tickets or coupons for chores gave kids the perfect solution. It was easy to make coupons for washing the car, drying the dishes and cleaning off the dinner table. That certainly was better than a drawing of a Christmas tree and misspelled message that elicited corrections and sometimes laughter. Oh, how great it would have been if spell check was around when I was a kid, or for that matter a college student.

But I’m straying from the quest for the perfect gift.

My wife Carol and daughter in-law Erica know exactly what to get each other. It never changes from year to year. Carol gives Erica a card with a $100 check. Erica gives Carol a card with $100.

“What’s the point?” I asked Carol. I knew the answer before she had a chance to reply. Both feel they have given. It’s an even trade and best yet there’s no pangs about spending money on yourself. After all, it’s a gift, and best yet you’re getting precisely what you want.

So, is money or a gift card the best of gifts?

I think not. My mother taught me otherwise when I gave her the “perfect gift.”

I was 15 at the time, maybe older. We had a Welsh Corgi then, Tico. She loved to spoil Tico, sneaking him bits off her plate at the dinner table and ensuring he had a comfortable bed. Tico would curl up to sleep with one ear pointing up and his nose tucked beside his bum.

I carved her a miniature sleeping Tico that she could fit in her hand. She squealed with delight when she unwrapped it. It was a total surprise. It went on her bureau with her collection of rocks, birds and animals. It was always there.

So what makes the perfect gift?

Knowing what the recipient loves is the best place to start. And it doesn’t hurt if you made it, and better yet, it’s a surprise.