"Everyone wants a Christmas tree. If you had a Christmas tree Santa would bring you stuff! Like hair curlers and slut shoes."
~Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums
It seems that a lot about the holiday season comes down to very personal choices. To decorate or not to decorate? That is the question! Or maybe the question is to gift or to regift? And then there is the whole, have family over, or shut the door, lock it, and pretend you went to Paris for the holiday! LOL. Yeah... that's where I would go, but then again, I wouldn't turn down a trip to New York City, London or Las Vegas either! One year Alan and I spent a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obisbo, California. That was one of the best times we ever spent together. We packed the car with gifts, our 4ft artificial tree, Axel, and our favorite tree ornaments, and drove 5 hours down the California coast! It's an amazingly beautiful drive, and a memory I wouldn't change for the world! But I took some flack from my family over it! Why, oh why didn't I want to spend another holiday with people, and I use the term loosely, that hate me 364 days a year, but who rise above it by tolerating me because... its... Christmas!? Blech!
The worst part was the gifts. Not that I want to sound ungreatful, I appreciate anything given in the spirit of love and friendship. I don't care if it is a funky looking candle purchased at the Dollar Tree, if it was bought with love, then I would consider it to be a treasured part of my home... PERIOD. I would never, ever dream of re-gifting it, ever! But when you know the minute you open a present, and you realize the gift just handed you was bought with contempt, well, that makes it ripe for the re-gifting, right? Well, no, that would be passing on some badness I think. But then, what can be done with gifts like that?
Gifts Like...
1. A set of weight loss tapes from the 1990's. Anyone remember Susan Powter?
2. A 6 piece set of steaks knives with Pope John Paul II's face on the handle.
3. A copy of the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial on VHS.
4. A Book on how to give the perfect gift. Handy, but is there a bigger message there?
6. A complete set of Teletubbies... hello... I was 40!
7. A red Fedora.
8. A $10.00 book of gift certificates from McDonalds.
9. A $2 bill. (Shhh... actually... I kinda liked that one).
10. A one year subscription to the National Enquirer. No... JUST NO!
I have actually received all those gifts and more! And I never could bring myself to say how much I wish I hadn't received them, and while I have always wanted to be that person, I am just not. If the gift came from someone who was clearly digging at me in creepy manner, I always figured accepting the gift with a smile did more damage to them than I could by refusing the gift or replying in kind. If it was simply a clueless person, like in the case of the Teletubbies, how could I hurt their feelings? A gift like that, given in the spirit of love and friendship, means I should accept it graciously, and remember, they didn't have to give me a gift at all! Sigh. Then there are the people who insist on buying you gifts, eventhough you had discussed earlier in the year, speciffically NOT buying gifts. AWKWARD! Another favorite is the office DICK who goes above and beyond the office gift limit, and spends twice as much as agreed upon, just so they can feel good about themselves!But that's another story!
Clearly the problem is with me, I am too sentimental, because I simply don't have the ability to re-gift even if the possible re-gifty gift was given to me out of spite! Like the one year when my sister and brother in law bought Alan a brand new coat, and bought me a small pink desk clock they got at a swap meet! Yep, they told me where they got it! Alan was so uncomfortable. They sat feeling superior, and I was amused at their lame attempt to hurt my feelings, although I did feel bad that Alan got hurt feelings for me! That was the part that hurt... watching him feel hurt that they had treated me that way. Sigh again! It's so strange, I see families who love each other, and genuinely look forward to spending time together, and wouldn't have it any other way, but I have never had a family like that. It wasn't until Alan came along that I really even care for the holidays.
He gave me that gift! The gift of love, friendship and fun for the holidays! That was a re-gift, because his family had originally given it to him, and he gave it to me! Love, friendship, peace, joyfulness, happiness, spirit, fun, cuddles... THAT IS A RE-GIFT WORTH GIVING... AND RECEIVING! Of course while we are on the subject, if Santa is reading this post, I LOVE that girly girl ornament! I know, it doesn't really say Christmas as ornaments go, but it is screaming... I'm CARLY'S Style!~ On the other hand, I will joyfully accept a hug instead!
Mood: Happy
~Me :)
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