Retirement Gifts Ideas
How do you decide what to buy for that friend who has always been there, three doors down forty hours a week? They may not know the full impact they have made on you personally and professionally, and they certainly don’t know how much they will be missed.
But you are in luck! The perfect time to let them know all of this is at their retirement party, with the perfect retirement gift. Time is of the essence, after all.
First, you conduct a casual survey. Sure, you could find the perfect retirement gift on your own, but some suggestions from colleagues and friends couldn’t hurt. Half an hour later, you return to your desk feeling deflated. You could have thought of that pen idea on your own, for goodness sakes.
The Search
With the best of intentions, you take a deep breath and turn to your computer. You convince yourself that the mere act of typing “Retirement Gift Ideas” into a search engine does nothing to belittle your many years of friendship. Though your intentions are pure, your tactics may be flawed. None of the results seem quite right for a person who has done so much.
Because you are decidedly not crafty, you breeze past a slew of handmade ideas. You read so many Hallmark sentiments engraved onto plaques that you are no longer sure which ones are intended to be humorous. At some point, you convince yourself that the friend in question must love fishing and golf – they just haven’t had time for it until now! You are not certain whether this assumption was generated via search results or from a conversation years ago.
This scene has left your head spinning. Your motion-blurred vision finally lands on one of those novelty plaques three pages in on your search results. You convince yourself, “this is it!” You’ve struck the right balance of humor and earnestness. Your hand guides the mouse, and you almost “Click here to customize.” At that moment your old friend walks through your open office door, and you silently thank them for saving you once again.
So, what do you buy for the person who has done so much? I think the answer is this: the gift doesn’t matter.
What?! Yes, the gift doesn’t matter. It is the friendship that matters. Of course!
It has been easy to keep up with your friend at work, but it is something quite different to stay in touch with someone you won’t be seeing every day.
The Perfect Gift
But you came here for retirement gift ideas.
First, any gift should be accompanied with a letter thanking your friend for their many contributions to the company, and their valued friendship. Next, here are some ideas to spark inspiration:
For the friend who loves to travel:
- A new camera
- A bunch of miles from their preferred Airline
- A travel journal with a unique cover from our friend Dan McKinney at Pixel Point Graphics in Anderson
For the friend who does love golf:
- 18 holes with a group of friends from work
- New golf clubs
- A gift card to their favorite club
For the friend who does love to fish
- New fishing gear – think tech or a new fishing pole
- A snazzy new cooler
For the friend who loves to party
- Stock their bar with a special aged whiskey and wine perhaps
- Serving trays or kitchenware
- That expensive mixer they have always wanted but would never buy
For the friend who loves to read
- A collection of books with personal messages from coworkers written inside – We have a few recommendations on our Richer Life Page
- A subscription to an e-reader service
For the friend who loves to learn
- A “scholarship” for summer classes at a local college
- A subscription to language learning software
