Day 22 : Clutches & Gifts

I went to visit a friend randomly showing up at their home to see the new born. It was long over due and this visit was totally unplanned. Anyways, towards the end, I was given a beautiful clutch as we were stepping out. As much as I love it, I did not feel good about taking the gift in the first place.

There was a time, I did not even had a wallet. Then I saw my roommate having a wallet that was so beautiful, I got something similar and held onto it for years until it started falling apart. Then I got myself a white wallet that was good enough to take it to parties and also for regular use. As it was white, it got dirty pretty quickly. Then, when I went to a mall in Mumbai, I liked all the clutches and got myself 2 of them, one for western and the other for Indian attire. Very happy until I found my large phone did not quite fit in, gave it to a cousin. Glad about one less. But, there was a party coming up and I had to buy another, instead of getting one, I got 2 of exactly same color but of different designs. They were neutral and used them quite a bit for many events and was very happy that they will be with me for eternity.

Then another 2 more wallets flowed in from my mother in law as Christmas and Birthday presents, adding upto 7, when I went to India, I gave up one of the gift to my mother and glad she put to full use. That still brings it down to 6 in hand. Then, I went to visit a friend again to see the new born (yeah, all my friends became mothers lately – that phase of life, where I am attending too many baby showers and visiting newborns and first birthdays than bachelorette parties or weddings) and then I was gifted with yet another wallet. I am not sure why everyone wants to gift me with wallets. I do not like using wallets and may be they get the impression that I do not have one and end up giving me? So where are we? – it came to 7. This time around, without further ado, without opening the present, I simply gave to my other cousin who badly needed it and she was just so happy to use it. (please do not tell my friend). Now, with yesterday’s visit to another friend of mine, she gifted me a yet another beautiful clutch, bringing it back to 7. Should I be happy that I am pampered with gifts? or rather I am sad that I get to use what other’s think are best for me than the choices I would make for myself.

Have you received unwanted or not-necessary gifts from friends and family? How do you politely decline them?. I suffer from that. Before you come to conclusions, I do not gift unless an occasion arises or there is need to gift that fulfills their desire of having that. If you were my regular follower, you know how much I avoid buying stuff and cluttering the home. These gifts that I receive from my well-meaning friends is making me avoid meeting them. How can you politely decline, when some one puts in so much of time and shops for them and gift them with all the love.

All I am left with are clutches and wallets and they are many than I wish for. You want to know how I gift people – find out what they really want and just get that with a gift receipt for them to be able to exchange to what ever they want. Or a Gift card where in they have freedom to buy regular groceries or any item that they need versus some random gifts of my choice. And more importantly, I do not have that big heart to let go of things that easily, I have a small clutch that was gifted by a friend several years ago, I have not used – not even once and yet hold onto it.