I hate presents. Hate giving them. Hate receiving them. I don’t think I’ve received a present I’ve liked since I was about 10 years old.
I think it was my mother-in-law who totally killed present-giving for me. My mother-in-law is a big present-giver, but she has the taste of a 70-year-old woman living in a small country town, which she is. For 25 years she has given me a string of appalling presents. A shiny purple bedspread with matching pillowcases. A frilly toilet paper roll holder. Lots and lots of hankies (I don’t use hankies). Big dolls. Small dolls. Dolls with creepy faces. (I don’t like dolls.) One year she said she wanted to spend some extra money on me, because I’d helped her out with something, so she bought me a gigantic teddy bear. I was 30 at the time.
Earlier this year, in desperate need of storage space, I packed up these decades’ worth of unwanted mother-in-law presents and dropped them off at Vinnies. It was a huge relief, but I also felt sad and guilty for never having used them. I just hope someone out there will squeal with delight when they see the shiny purple bedspread.
My siblings aren’t much into present-giving, but when they do give me things, I usually wish they hadn’t. An expensive candle? I have a toddler and we don’t do naked flames in our house. A gigantic wind-chime, which produces bonging sounds at the volume of Big Ben? Yep, my neighbours in the high-rise flats around me will love that. Elaborate keys that aren’t made to fit anything? Tiny paintings of dogs in the English countryside, complete with stands? Hmmm…
Top Comments
Such a sad post. I understand most of your points, but if you really care about someone and truly get to know them gift giving isnt so hard. The hard part is actually being present in someones life enough to know what they might like. This can range from a coffee/wine (in my case) date, maybe buy a goat for and African community under the name of the recipient. Get together at Christmas and instead of giving unwanted gifts arrange for your family members to bring food and or toys that can be donated to a local charity. That is a better thing than everyone being ungrateful for what they may have received and too lazy to research what your Mum, grandma, nephew or best friend might like.
Oh my goodness I could not agree more vigorously! I have HAD IT with presents - giving and receiving. I do not want them in my house. No more scented candles, platters, strings of beads (I have never worn beads in my life) spice racks and cookbooks (I get all my recipes from the internet.) This Christmas I have stated very clearly to family that I do not want anything at all, but if they MUST (because they must) one nice bottle of pinot grigio will suffice. Nothing else. Marie Kondo is my heroine.