RE-GIFTING

I have always understood the practice of re-gifting. It's practical and economical. Why let something go to waste when someone else could benefit from it? What's ordinary and useless to one could be wonderful and very useful to another. But some people must have missed the very purpose of re-gifting.  It is not mindlessly  passing off something you don't like to someone else just to get rid of it! Nor is it getting rid of something that's about to spoil or worse is ALREADY spoiled just because you seem to be under the impression that it is better than throwing stuff away! In case you haven't gotten the memo, let me tell you now..."Better to throw stuff ,especially food that you can't eat yourself than to give it away. You don't wanna cause someone indigestion or worse ,food poisoning, do you?"

I guess this is the reason why I don't look forward to the opening of gifts on Christmas day. I must have been scarred from the countless years that I  was disappointed. Getting things from the same people year after year that is soooooo obviously an afterthought is so tiring. And yet, year after year I still HOPE that maybe this time, they'll get it right.  What kinda stuff you might ask? Clothing that don't fit (by several sizes!), accessories that i won't wear or use because they are so obviously not my style (READ: can they REALLY see me wearing or using this?!?!), mugs (how many mugs can one person have? especially one who doesn't drink coffee?) and food stuff that is about to spoil or who's packaging is torn, dusty or rusty(must have been in the cupboard for ages!) (horror of horrors there were times that some of them even had molds already!)

It doesn't take much to give the right gift.  It just takes careful thought. Re-gift stuff to the right people. If you have received a lot of personal care products, think of someone who likes them as well. If you have received several items of the same kind, give some of them to whom they would fit (literally and figuratively). Make sure they are still in good condition.  For food, give only what you yourself would still eat. Meaning ,not something that you would think twice before eating. This doesn't include food that you don't usually eat or that you are allergic to. That's understandable. But even if it's a re-gift, put a little effort into it's presentation. Make sure you remove the original gift tag and replace it with a new one. Better yet, re-wrap it! Oh, one more thing..just because the person you are gifting is beneath you in stature, (house help, guards, employees,poor relations and the like) that doesn't mean you can dump whatever stuff on them (oi, imported yan! mahal yan!) and they'd feel so honored! Just because something is expensive and imported doesn't mean it will be appreciated. Imagine giving your driver caviar or your maid UGG boots?! Do you think they'd be jumping up and down in glee?! Believe me, you won't get the reaction you are expecting. They'd have puzzled expressions on their faces and would be struggling to smile and show appreciation despite being bewildered ( ano to?! anong gagawin ko dito?!).

It really doesn't take much. Just put yourself in the shoes of the other person. What would i like to get if I were her/him? It doesn't have to be expensive, imported or even unique. It just has to be APPROPRIATE. Despite my ranting here, I can't discount the fact that there were good gifts over the years too. Some of the best gifts I have received through the years: parker pen (I have been using it for years!), toothpaste tube squeezer (so u get to use your toothpaste 'til the last drop), chopping boards, 3M products like post it, sponges, scrubs, tapes etc. I've also gotten stuff that I was planning to buy, either because I already ran out of them or I mentioned wanting them. (like cosmetics, wallet or accessories). It goes to show that my family and friends have been paying attention and taking note of what I need or want. These days, people would come up with wish lists so that the gift givers can just choose from the list what they can afford to give.  So make sure you come up with a realistic, feasible one. For food, I have received pastries and chocolates that I love! If you still can't figure out what to give, GCs and angpaw (tama ba?) or money will never go wrong.

I believe that if you care about a person, regardless of the degree of caring, you will think of gifting that person with something that would make him/her happy.  (kasi kung hindi at ikaasar lang nila, WAG NA LANG!)