At first, I thought sending virtual gifts on social media platforms was meaningless. But then, I met Sofia, an Italian friend who loves plants. For her birthday, I sent her a sticker of a succulent pot.
A month later, Sofia sent me a picture. In it was a real succulent, identical to the sticker I had sent, sitting on a sun-drenched windowsill. The caption read: “Look! It’s still alive!” In that moment, I realized that while the gift may have been virtual, the care and joy it brought were completely real.