CONFESSIONS OF A REGIFTER

There, I said it.

I'm a regifter.

Born into it.

Lived it my whole life.

Delving deep into my psyche would probably discover the reasons why.

I came from a large family where money was always a scarce commodity.

I didn't find any joy in buying birthday presents for my friends. That shopping "trip" went like this:

"Mom, Kathee invited me to her birthday party Saturday."

"OK, let's look in the closet and see what I have."

I didn't discover the joy of shopping for others until years later.

And even then, somehow I didn't realize that when I regifted I was robbing them of the pleasure of giving.

I always opened a gift with one thought lingering in the back of my mind, "Who could I give this to?", thus saving me that elusive spare cash for mundane things like rent, food, doctor bills.

In the last few years, this has happily changed for me.

I opened boxes containing earrings, pulling them off their cardboard backing and putting them on. I uncorked the bottles of wine and consumed them. I delved into the cookies and candies. I took the scarves and gloves and ripped off the tags and started wearing them. I proudly wrote my name inside the books, forever removing the temptation to regift them. I used the Starbucks card, instead of sending it on to a friend. I lit the candles.

I opened.

I used.

I enjoyed.

I have seen the light----I now consider myself a reformed regifter------because I am worth all these gifts chosen just for me!

My favorite quote from Dr. Northrup:

I do enough

I have enough

I AM enough