That was a very positive and motivational piece of writing. But there is a sour note:

“Somehow I have come to believe that our culture has befriended the idea that a gift is only valuable if it carries with it some marketable element. It’s as if the gift has to be bought or sold in order to have value.”

Bummer. But I think that if you give an adult something that you made yourself as a gift, and they wonder why you didn’t break out your credit card, they’re trifling. People buy things as gifts because it’s easier than making something, so good folks appreciate the gesture of giving a gift that took your time, effort, and talent rather than your money. I still draw greeting cards for my 90 something parents, because what could I purchase for them at this point that they could possibly need? Just keep in mind that if you give a personal friend a piece of writing as a gift, keep it real short so that you don’t seem self indulgent. Poems are good, and in calligraphy they’re even better.