During a dinner with my mom, I saw how tattered and broken her wallet was. The seams seem to be coming undone and the zipper doesn’t work. I immediately remembered that I have a wallet at home that I no longer use.
It was from 2018 and Alla gifted it to me. I used it for awhile but soon found a more suitable wallet for my current needs.
I asked my mom if she wanted to have it. I told her, I barely used it, it’s almost like new (one of my special skills is keeping things looking like they’re new 😉) and it’s sitting at home in its box.
She said, if I can give it to her, of course, she’d love to have it.
So I gave it to her.
Since this was a gift from Alla, I also asked her if it was okay that I was giving it away. Some do find this a little offensive.
Her reaction was awesome. All she said was “Of course! Better for it to be useful than sitting inside a box.”
This made me realize how gifting has evolved for me but also for everyone.
When we need to give a gift, we immediately think of buying something new. 🛍 Gone are the days when we gave something we created or previously owned. 🎁
And when we receive a gift, even if we’re not fond of it, we keep it as it might offend the person who gave it.
👉 As a giver, you’d often struggle to find something that the person would genuinely like or need (not unless they’re super close to you).
👉 As a receiver, you feel obligated to keep things you don’t need because it might offend the person who gave it to you.
When I gave that wallet to my mom, I felt good that this wallet was serving its purpose again. It was no longer going to waste. It was actually being used for what it was made for.
Why have we stopped giving gifts this way?
Why do we feel the need to always buy something new?
When did it become “shameful” to give something you previously used or something that was given to you?
Doesn’t it feel way better to gift something you’ve had before?
“This has served me well. Maybe it will serve you too.”
Receiving something this way has more meaning. It’s more personal and it has more thought. It’s like giving a part of yourself.
As for receiving a gift that you don’t need or want and then giving it away, this has more depth too.
For the person who gave it to you, this doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful.
You ARE grateful.
You just have no use for it. Those are 2 different things.
And if you took the time to find someone else who’d benefit more from it, instead of chucking it into your closet or attic, doesn’t that show the person you gave you the gift how much they mean to you?
🤔 Think about it: Instead of tossing the gift into your closet to be forgotten, you took the time to find someone else who might be able to use it.
As for the person you’ll be re-gifting it to, isn’t it sweet that they’re the first person you thought of when you received this gift?
Let’s stop senseless buying and gifting things for the sake of giving a gift.
Let’s bring back re-gifting.
If you have nothing to give and must buy, why not give something that’s not just “another thing”.
✔️ Gift experiences - spa, lessons, activities, travel.
✔️ Gift choices - gift card or gift certificate. Let them decide.
✔️ Gift food - if you can, find something not in plastic 😉.
😷 COVID ADVISORY 😷
If you are re-gifting this Christmas, make sure you sanitize your gifts and sanitize those that you receive too!
