“If anytime you want to get rid of them”…I don’t know why but Yolanda’s request is replaying in my mind and all I can think is, why not…if it makes her happy. Sure I was lured to them initially and they have helped me accessorize many outfits, but at this moment I feel that Yolanda will cherish them more than I would. After all, how often do you hear a stranger blurt out a wishful statement about something? These dangling artifacts certainly moved her so I scurried off to the post office with two envelopes, one to mail out and one that I had inscribed with “Yolanda.”  All of the everyday stuff that consumes our life…does it add particular meaning and or does it deplete our senses and make us more withdrawn from what really matters?

I have a history with this post office not because it’s the closest to my nest or work, but because it’s convenient to all my in-between morning errand dashes and there is ample parking at all times. I don’t recall Yolanda ever assisting me; I usually exchange currency for stamps with one or two other employees. Maybe it was the angle of how my dangling medallions caught her eye and maybe if I wasn’t absorbed with thoughts about my next mad dash, I would have stopped to thank her (sure I said thanks half-heartedly) and just handed them to her right then and there. We cannot fill our everyday moments with a celebratory wedding or the arrival of a wee one, the excitement of owning a dreamy home or a jet-setting weekend, so why not make a little everyday moment a surprisingly delightful one? 

I know that this gift to Yolanda will tickle her fancy and that she will certainly wear them with a smile on her face, however, what do we do when we receive a gift we know will not bring us joy. Accept with gratitude of course, however, are we required to keep the gift? Why do we struggle to part ways with an item we know we will never use or worse, one we perceive as hideous? Whether the intent of the gift is a heartfelt one or whether we wish to vehemently clench onto something a beloved relative presented to us, by keeping it for these reasons we feel the burden of it in our nest as these gifts can quickly pile up to clutter.

My philosophy is grant the person well wishes without any expectations! It’s not yours…remember you bequest it to them. Even though your intentions are fervent and you truly think they would love it—what if they don’t fall hard for it? Don’t be vexed or hold any grudges for something that does not make them happy–isn’t that what you want for them anyway? In fact, I usually accompany a present with a gift receipt in case the intended party doesn’t reckon it’s as amazing as I had hoped. I always take into account the interests of the person and I truly love to forage about for a gift for them. However, if I am invited to their nest and do not see my earnest gift there, it wouldn’t bother me in the least because I would know they are happy without it. Happy gift giving and receiving, may you have the courage to let “it” [control of the gift] go. After all you do not want to unintentionally present unwanted gift clutter in the lives of the people you care about.