Ever Been Kind of Insulted By a Christmas Gift?

[wishiwasindisneyjen]

Just remembered another one . In the early years of my marriage my mother in law gave me an air purifier. This big huge thing. Said it was because "my cats were killing her son" because he is allergic.

FYI - he's also allergic to dogs, of which she had many in the home with him growing up.

 

[sailorstitch]

ok that’s just bizarre. I have many questions. Did they ask her to do this? How did she get in the house? And just why???

Believe me, I wish I knew more details too. I have no doubt that the story is true because my grandma was very controlling.

I'm an 80s kid, but I had no interest in Cabbage Patch Kids. I didn't like baby dolls at all. My grandma fell in love with the line and insisted that I needed them.

 

[Donald13]

Believe me, I wish I knew more details too. I have no doubt that the story is true because my grandma was very controlling.

I'm an 80s kid, but I had no interest in Cabbage Patch Kids. I didn't like baby dolls at all. My grandma fell in love with the line and insisted that I needed them.

Lord. That’s a lot to unpack. I got one as a kid but we loved them lol

 

[ford91exploder]

And he was offended that the grandson (named Scott) laughed? If somebody gave me toilet paper that they got for free at work, as a Christmas present, I would definitely laugh too, assuming it was intended to be a gag gift.

I was somewhat puzzled by the reaction too, As I would have assumed something like this to be a gag gift. but in some families Christmas is a high pressure holiday

 

[ford91exploder]

oops, I had the giver and the receiver reversed. If I got a bunch of paper towels and toilet paper for Christmas I'd be thrilled. That stuff's expensive lol

Scott and his wife were indeed pleased with the gift it was about a years worth of the stuff!!!, The fact that it was 'personalizied' was the source of ire/humor

 

[Symon]

Just thought I would share how our office handles the gift exchange - maybe it will help some other offices. We draw names and then instead of buying a present for that person we buy something we think they would like as a kid (toy, etc.) People get really creative (dollhouse for someone who just got a new house, toy cash register for the CFO, etc.) After the party where we all have fun opening and enjoying the ideas around the gifts we donate them all to the local child toy drive (usually we have the exchange in early Dec.) It is win/win, we have a fun party and needed kids get some fun toys.

 

[mumto3girls]

Just thought I would share how our office handles the gift exchange - maybe it will help some other offices. We draw names and then instead of buying a present for that person we buy something we think they would like as a kid (toy, etc.) People get really creative (dollhouse for someone who just got a new house, toy cash register for the CFO, etc.) After the party where we all have fun opening and enjoying the ideas around the gifts we donate them all to the local child toy drive (usually we have the exchange in early Dec.) It is win/win, we have a fun party and needed kids get some fun toys.

That sounds like a super cute, fun way to be charitable. It also sounds like a whole new way people could get offended based upon what the giver perceived they would have liked as a child.

 

[sailorstitch]

Just thought I would share how our office handles the gift exchange - maybe it will help some other offices. We draw names and then instead of buying a present for that person we buy something we think they would like as a kid (toy, etc.) People get really creative (dollhouse for someone who just got a new house, toy cash register for the CFO, etc.) After the party where we all have fun opening and enjoying the ideas around the gifts we donate them all to the local child toy drive (usually we have the exchange in early Dec.) It is win/win, we have a fun party and needed kids get some fun toys.

I love that idea! But considering I'm an adult toy collector, I'd probably want to keep whatever I was gifted.

 

[fly girl]

This reminds me of our circle of friends who have a gift exchange party each Christmas. The limit is $25, and everyone shops all year and “competes” to give the most fabulous gift to be found for $25.

At the last exchange (2019, of course!), I opened a gift to find... well, a piece of trash. The giver laughed and laughed and said that she had decided to make hers a gag gift. So while everyone else was oohing and ahhing over the thoughtful, tasteful gifts they had received, I forced a smile at the “joke” and tried not to resent that I had spent $25 on my gift!

A piece of trash? Who does that during a nice gift exchange? I can see it if after you opened the trash she had the actual gift, but leaving you empty handed or actually leaving you with her garbage? No. Just wrong.

That friend deserved a flaming bag of doggie doo left on her doorstep. And then you could've laughed and laughed at her after she extinguished it. Tit for tat.

I know, I know two wrongs don't make a right. However, two negatives make a positive!

 

[sailorstitch]

Lord. That’s a lot to unpack. I got one as a kid but we loved them lol

Like I said, I have a lot more stories like this. Anybody want me to keep going?

 

[fly girl]

Wow, I had a few oddball gifts but some of these on here take the cake!

My heart hurts for the stories shared when they were kids. I don't care if you are 5 or 15, being slighted by your mom/dad/grandma is heartbreaking. I know we don't live in a perfect world, but when you're a kid you rely on these people. Backhanded gifts is just cruel.

 

[Princess Mulan]

A piece of trash? Who does that during a nice gift exchange? I can see it if after you opened the trash she had the actual gift, but leaving you empty handed or actually leaving you with her garbage? No. Just wrong.

That friend deserved a flaming bag of doggie doo left on her doorstep. And then you could've laughed and laughed at her after she extinguished it. Tit for tat.

I know, I know two wrongs don't make a right. However, two negatives make a positive!

It was awkward, for sure. I agree it would’ve been nice if she had provided a real gift along with the “gag,” or she could’ve suggested beforehand that we all do gag gifts.

Knowing her as well as I do, I don’t think she had any ill intent. I think she just wanted the laughter and attention that her joke would give her. Unfortunately, I don’t think she considered (or even realizes now) how her joke would make the recipient feel.

 

[ronandannette]

Like I said, I have a lot more stories like this. Anybody want me to keep going?

{{raises hand}} As long as your stories are non-Covid related, I will sit here and read them all day!

 

[fly girl]

It was awkward, for sure. I agree it would’ve been nice if she had provided a real gift along with the “gag,” or she could’ve suggested beforehand that we all do gag gifts.

Knowing her as well as I do, I don’t think she had any ill intent. I think she just wanted the laughter and attention that her joke would give her. Unfortunately, I don’t think she considered (or even realizes now) how her joke would make the recipient feel.

She is your friend, and you probably can overlook it because you know all of her good qualities.

However, I know myself ... if she were my true friend (not an acquaintance) my big old mouth couldn't keep quiet. I wouldn't have been a jerk, but I would've told her afterwards how it made me feel. Understanding wanting to get a fun laugh for the group, but how her moment in the spotlight left the recipient with trash as a gift. Not to mention she skated out of a Christmas gift exchange leaving someone without a gift!

 

[TipsyTraveler]

That sounds like a super cute, fun way to be charitable. It also sounds like a whole new way people could get offended based upon what the giver perceived they would have liked as a child.

Hey, people are always looking for new ways to be offended — it’s perfect!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Like I said, I have a lot more stories like this. Anybody want me to keep going?

If it’s not too painful for you, yes, I’d love to hear more!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I have another one - again, not offended because it’s not from somebody who would have gotten us anything normally. But it does make for a fun story.

Spent Christmas Eve at my uncle’s house. My cousin’s godfather was there and was nice enough to also get us something. All the way home, we begged to be able to open one present that night and my dad eventually gave in and said we could open those. I got a baby doll. I was 13. My brother opened a set of 8 white linen napkins

 

[Aladora]

I'm not sure if I have written about this, so I apologize if this is a story I have told already.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 34 and this was a gift my mother in law sent me.

She sent me, her VERY non-religious Jewish daughter in law a book called " A Reason for Hope, gaining strength for your fight against cancer " by the Reverend Michael Barry which included gems like this:

"I don't know if it's God's will for you to be cancer free in order to glorify and serve Him, or whether it is His will for you to glorify and serve Him in your dying and death. I do know that it is His will that you bear this disease with a Christlike attitude to whatever end takes you. We are all destined to die, and whether you live a few more years is less important that making the changes in attitude that can transform your relationship with God, with yourself and with others so that you will become the person God created you to be. If you accomplish that, then it really doesn't matter how long you live or how soon you die."

As my husband put it, in her defense it was probably the only book about cancer that she could buy in the one-horse town she lives in!

But yeah, a book about how it is god's will whether I live or die...

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I'm not sure if I have written about this, so I apologize if this is a story I have told already.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 34 and this was a gift my mother in law sent me.

She sent me, her VERY non-religious Jewish daughter in law a book called " A Reason for Hope, gaining strength for your fight against cancer " by the Reverend Michael Barry which included gems like this:

"I don't know if it's God's will for you to be cancer free in order to glorify and serve Him, or whether it is His will for you to glorify and serve Him in your dying and death. I do know that it is His will that you bear this disease with a Christlike attitude to whatever end takes you. We are all destined to die, and whether you live a few more years is less important that making the changes in attitude that can transform your relationship with God, with yourself and with others so that you will become the person God created you to be. If you accomplish that, then it really doesn't matter how long you live or how soon you die."

As my husband put it, in her defense it was probably the only book about cancer that she could buy in the one-horse town she lives in!

But yeah, a book about how it is god's will whether I live or die...

YIKES!!!!

I was diagnosed with cancer at age 44 and while I am not super religious, I am religious and I can NOT imagine being gifted a book like that!!!!

 

[leebee]

We had a thread on here, years ago, about the bad gifting of a MIL. remember it? LOL

When I saw the title to this thread, the first thing I thought was "What's jeafl up to?" Her posts about her MIL sure were amusing!