So, apparently, writer's block is a thing of the past...
This is January, just past the "season" during which we all greet each other (ever seen a hallmark card?) and that bane of my existence: give gifts to everyone.
Now, let me place my usual disclaimer in place...
I like gifts: I like getting them, I like giving them, I like opening them and mostly I like using them (my friends thankfully have good taste!). But there's a limit and the Christmas/NY season really is the last straw...And when one has a kid of about 3 forbid the thought... Christmas and Ny can continue into July!!! And september and October...
Gone are the days, when one could just pop by to a friend and sometimes get a present just to say how great they were...Having D-Poo has introduced me to the world of giving presents just because you have to... Presents when you go to see someone...Presents for a birthday, presents for guests for coming to a birthday, presents when they give something for D-Poo...presents to return the obligation of the other presents and then they in turn will present to return the favour!!! All in all, it's a collection of stuff that occupies said children for few hours in case of toys and few months in case of clothes... what it does is stress out everyone...Cos, what if the gift you gave isn't good enough? or the clothes don't fit? ... or you forgot the gift wrap? or left the price tag in? or the return gift "sack"? What if you meeet these people often? then do you give gifts for the same amount each time or vary depending on the occasion? Do you have to match the amount they might have spent (toys and kids clothes are easily estimated, by the ways, for those mathematically inclined) Is it okay to give the parents a gift for a Christmas party and ignore the child who's mostly pulling down the decorations anyways? And the most problematic question: can you re-gift?
Of course the nice people that most are, will say: of course, it's only the thought that counts. But what if mine was a cheap thought? Or an absent one? Is that still good enough? And so my home and that of other child-having moms are full of birthday gifts, return presents, nice-to-meet-you presents, long-time-since-we-met-you presents, it's christmas presents, it's joy-at-this-time of year present until we're ready to drop under the weight of all that love and kindness.
So with this blog I do set free all the moms in association with me: it's okay to come empty-handed when I invite you for dinner. I will still love you if you give the birthday child gifts without including a gift for my non-birthday child. Feel free to let me leave without giving me a return "party favor" for attending your child's birthday; it was a pleasure seriously and I inflict myself with birthdays only for my friends. I don't care if you forgot the gift bag (but take off the price; it's a thing with me) a plastic store bag is just fine. And a "thank you" card is not necessary at all. We make our friends for what they are, not what they give us and the faster we impart that to our children the easier ourlives will be!! So I do resolve to try and break this chain in present-ing...until the next birthday of course! Gifts are the protocol for birthdays! But only for the birthday child!!!
This is January, just past the "season" during which we all greet each other (ever seen a hallmark card?) and that bane of my existence: give gifts to everyone.
Now, let me place my usual disclaimer in place...
I like gifts: I like getting them, I like giving them, I like opening them and mostly I like using them (my friends thankfully have good taste!). But there's a limit and the Christmas/NY season really is the last straw...And when one has a kid of about 3 forbid the thought... Christmas and Ny can continue into July!!! And september and October...
Gone are the days, when one could just pop by to a friend and sometimes get a present just to say how great they were...Having D-Poo has introduced me to the world of giving presents just because you have to... Presents when you go to see someone...Presents for a birthday, presents for guests for coming to a birthday, presents when they give something for D-Poo...presents to return the obligation of the other presents and then they in turn will present to return the favour!!! All in all, it's a collection of stuff that occupies said children for few hours in case of toys and few months in case of clothes... what it does is stress out everyone...Cos, what if the gift you gave isn't good enough? or the clothes don't fit? ... or you forgot the gift wrap? or left the price tag in? or the return gift "sack"? What if you meeet these people often? then do you give gifts for the same amount each time or vary depending on the occasion? Do you have to match the amount they might have spent (toys and kids clothes are easily estimated, by the ways, for those mathematically inclined) Is it okay to give the parents a gift for a Christmas party and ignore the child who's mostly pulling down the decorations anyways? And the most problematic question: can you re-gift?
Of course the nice people that most are, will say: of course, it's only the thought that counts. But what if mine was a cheap thought? Or an absent one? Is that still good enough? And so my home and that of other child-having moms are full of birthday gifts, return presents, nice-to-meet-you presents, long-time-since-we-met-you presents, it's christmas presents, it's joy-at-this-time of year present until we're ready to drop under the weight of all that love and kindness.
So with this blog I do set free all the moms in association with me: it's okay to come empty-handed when I invite you for dinner. I will still love you if you give the birthday child gifts without including a gift for my non-birthday child. Feel free to let me leave without giving me a return "party favor" for attending your child's birthday; it was a pleasure seriously and I inflict myself with birthdays only for my friends. I don't care if you forgot the gift bag (but take off the price; it's a thing with me) a plastic store bag is just fine. And a "thank you" card is not necessary at all. We make our friends for what they are, not what they give us and the faster we impart that to our children the easier ourlives will be!! So I do resolve to try and break this chain in present-ing...until the next birthday of course! Gifts are the protocol for birthdays! But only for the birthday child!!!
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