The holiday season is always quickly associated with getting gifts. And I mean really, who doesn't love getting nice, thoughtful gifts from friends, family or secret Santas. While this is great, nothing really compares to the feeling of giving that thoughtful gift.

Finding the perfect gift for someone is like finding a needle in a haystack. With thousands of options between the thousands of stores or online shops, finding that one item that was just meant for your secret Santa is a small victory on its own. This gift shows that you care about them, that you know what they are interested in and what matters most to them, which is important in any kind of loving relationship. Your gift is just a physical reflection of that.

Personally, I love to see the person's reaction when they first see the gift they are receiving. No matter how good of an actor one is, you can tell right away whether or not they genuinely love their gift. We have all been there, opening a present and realizing that while they did try, it was not exactly what you wanted but you are still beyond thankful for it anyway.

But in that split second of realizing what the gift is and the reaction that is given, you can tell by their face just how much they love it. This moment of pure joy is what makes gift giving worthwhile. It makes all the stress of finding the gift, having it delivered or driving to the store to pick it up and wrapping it all worth it.

There is nothing better than seeing someone you love and care about happy, and giving gifts provides these moments in real time. While doing secret Santa with my friends, I was smiling so much that my face began to hurt because of how happy each person was with their gift. Witnessing my friends jump up, scream, laugh and smile made me realize that I am lucky to have people so invested in one another that gift giving isn't a chore, but another way to show that we care.

So this holiday season, focus not on the physical gift but on the joy and happiness it brings to those around you. While getting gifts is wonderful, I personally believe seeing those around me filled with joy is a much better gift than anything material. This shouldn't be another item that you check off your long list of things to do, but a moment to show the people you care about that you are thankful for them and love having them in your life.