To some people, the most difficult aspect of the holidays is finding the perfect gift for friends or loved ones. Not every person is easy to buy for, and hours spent searching the stores can cause even the most steadfast holiday shopper to throw in the towel. There is, however, a selection of gifts that are appropriate for many, and this may be the answer to your worries about finding the perfect gift.

Of course, no single gift is perfect for everyone. According to “Present Perfect: The Essential Guide to Gift Giving” (Mobius Press), by Sherri and Larry Athay, the best gifts share several common characteristics: appropriateness, perceptiveness, selflessness, generosity, indulgence, surprise and evocation.

# Appropriateness – The perfect gift is fitting for the occasion and the relationship. A tin of homemade Christmas cookies to a coworker would be a thoughtful gesture.

# Perceptiveness – A gift that reflects the giver’s attention to the tastes and preferences of the recipient is preferred. In essence, it’s a compliment that says, “When I saw this, I couldn’t help but think of you!”

# Selflessness – The giver should only desire to please the recipient – expecting nothing in return. This “no-return” policy includes any satisfaction the giver anticipates from the observations of others about the extravagance of the gift or the generosity of the giver.

# Generosity – Resourceful gifts reveal how special the recipient is to the giver. Often, endowments of the giver’s time, effort or creativity are the most generous and memorable characteristics of a gift.

# Indulgence – It pampers, it humors, it appeases, it satisfies – the perfect gift says there is something extraordinary about the recipient in the eyes of the giver.

# Surprise- Careful and discreet planning can catch even the most suspecting recipient off guard. A spontaneous gift even can be more fun.