My Great Re-Gifting Story~
Browsing around the internet I came upon a request for submitting your horrible tales of receiving a re-gift.

The site, titled, "Say No To Re-Gifting", will reward the top 200 horrible tales with a prize.
As a writer I am always interested in topics to write on and ya know, when I saw this topic, all kinds of other peoples stories of gawd awful regifting gifts came to mind and yet I could not think of one that has happened to me; but I did remember myself giving a regift and I remembered it never became one of those gawd awful regifting stories but one of fond rememberence.

So knowing I may not win a prize for my story, I decided to tell the tale anyways. Please enjoy below:

I am a person of good fortune to have a job that pays more than the standard wage in my valley. I'm not rich by no means and I do barely get by after paying mortgage and bills but the money that is left over after essentials, do provide me with a little more than the average person. So one Christmas, after purchasing gifts for family and friends, I chose to splurge on myself. I bought one of those complete surround sound systems for your entertainment center. I had always wanted one but had never gotton around to getting one ~ so that was my Christmas present to myself that year. I even wrapped it up and put it under my tree. I tagged it ~ "From Santa".

As I always do this time of year, I hold an informal get together at my house. Kind of an open house get together. Hot toddies, gooey rich treats, finger foods abound. My small 900 square foot house accomadating 25-40 people, standing, sitting where they can. Its a wonderful time and I love to listen to everyones tales of their Christmas gift finds, wishes ect. In this atmosphere, a long time friend of mine, the type of person who's luck seems to always fall short but never lets it bring them down, was talking about her recent joys of having her boys home for the holidays. She didn't bring up the fact that she lost her job due to her constant health problems, that she was barely making by on disability pay and how it pained her to stand in the food coupon lines for hours. These things I know as I've been there with her. She's a proud woman and doesn't take hand outs and never complains out loud. I have often had to tell little white lies to drop off a bag of groceries, like "the store was selling two carton of eggs for the price of one" ect...

And here she was smiling and just being happy to have her family home for Christmas. In fact one of her sons was at my party. I pulled him aside and pointed out, how happy he has made his mother, and he turned and whispered, "She'll be even happier on Christmas morning, as we got her one of those new color TV's." This may not seem much to most people but I know her old TV, happened to have been someone elses old TV; so old its the kind that you don't get past channel 12 unless you run your cable through the VCR or DVD. So I could picture how happy this would be for her and as I visioned this, I glimpsed my gift to myself under the tree and it just seemed right.

When it came time for her and her son to go, I pulled him aside and told him there was a box by the back door that needs to go. In the box was the goodies I had packed up for her and the gift tagged "From Santa". I left the tag as is. There was no need for her to know it was from me, even though her son would know. I hoped she would think its from her family and mostly I just prayed she'd accept it. I wanted her Christmas to be as joyous as most peoples, one with lots of gifts.

Well, her son did tell her it was from me and yes, she tried to give it back. I fell back on telling a small white lie. I told her that the surround sound system was an early gift to me from someone else (white lie~ me), and since I had a system already (white lie) and I found out the boys had gotton her a brand new TV... I regifted her the unopened surround sound system. So it couldn't be returned as that would let the person who gave it to me know. (white lie). So she kept it, happy that it didn't cost me a thing (white lie) and pleased that she's keeping my secret.
After Christmas ~ I did get my own surround sound system ~ with a little of luck coming my way ~ I received a gift certificate to "Circuit City". Who says 'karma' doesn't come around.
Happy Holidays ~ and remember "Ya don't have to say no to regifting~If the regift is one from the heart and priceless to the recipient."

Ani

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