Give a gift as a token.
Birthdays are filled with gifts, especially if you have young children. But kids (and adults) often mistake the gift for the reason, rather than the reason for the gift. Sometimes you hear someone present a gift "as a token of my affection", but it's not very common anymore. Our gifts should be representative of a feeling for someone. It's our love that we give, really. Next time you give a gift, make sure the receiver knows it's a token of a feeling you have for them, not simply an object for them to acquire. Have you seen the bumper sticker "He who dies with the most toys wins?" Make your own instead. He who dies with the most joys wins.