Recycle, Re-gift and Relax

As the decorators packed up their displays at Christmas Tree Elegance, a 12-day downtown display of elaborately decorated trees and vignettes, I noticed they were discarding some of the wrapped-but-empty packages that had been under the trees. Some of the faux gifts were beautifully wrapped. One tree, with a Japanese theme, had at least a dozen flat boxes, perfect for wrapping, say, a CD or DVD, each decorated with a hand-folded paper fan. Another featured big, colorful tissue-wrapped boxes decorated with silk flowers. All were being tossed, so I grabbed them. I couldn’t resist. I still had presents to wrap at home, why not recycle? It seemed like such a shame to waste all that work and material. All I would have to do is open one end of the boxes and slip in my gifts. As I was bagging up the discarded packages, another woman walked up to the pile of trash and started picking out cardboard boxes. She had two gifts to wrap, she said, and one needed a box. I showed her my treasures, offering to share, and explained I hadn’t been able to watch them being thrown away. “Oh, I know what you mean,” she said. “I’m the same way.” As we talked she confided that she was looking for a box to recycle. She had two brand new, professional-looking computer bags and didn’t use either of them. There were two young women on her shopping list who could use bags like the two languishing in her closet. “So, I’m giving them recycled gifts,” she said. I wasn’t shocked. I could relate. Why is it considered rude to give someone exactly what they want, especially if you haven’t used it or only used it gently? It seems a bigger sin to simply hoard, or discard excess rather than share. I said it aloud. The woman agreed. “Every year, my mother used to give me a gift she’d picked up a thrift store,” the woman said. “It usually turned out to be my favorite.” I told her the story of my mother and the Christmas morning she called me into her bedroom and opened her jewelry box. “Pick something you’d like to have,” my mother told me. And I did. I chose the string of pearls she’d had for years but seldom worn. We were both happy with my selection. More than 20 years later, I wear them almost every day. It’s still one of the best, and most thoughtful, gifts I’ve ever been given. This has been a tough year for many people. Lost jobs, diminished savings, tight budgets and a general financial unease that hangs over us like a fog of uncertainty has made holiday extravagance distasteful, even for those who can afford it. Perhaps, if thoughtful recycling of gifts (re-gifting) loses some of its stigma, some good will have come out of all this. Every time I look over at my tree, and see the assortment of pretty packages that found their way there, I have to smile. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a win-win situation for all involved. The creativity of the designers and decorators brightened my home for the season. My children will open prettier packages than they would ordinarily. And me? Well, I got the gift of time. The minutes I didn’t have to use wrapping gifts can be put to better use. Like gazing at my Christmas tree.