It has already started. I hate the holiday season, and in truth I only hate it for one reason. My family and gift giving. If I thought I could get away with doing no gifts at all for and from my family I totally would. Every year it gets worse and worse and every year I get grumpier and grumpier about the whole thing.
The problem... my mother. First of all, we must provide lists. I'm cool with the list thing. (Although she will not provide one much to my chagrin.) Believe me, I'd rather her get me something off the list than some random thing she has decided I must have. So I dutifully give her a list of good ideas of things I would like in a wide variety of costs, including (this is new for 06) whether or not this can be purchased at a yard sale, which she frequently does (whether I say it is okay or not). I also send her links to things if I think she might have questions about specifics. I could not be more clear, right? No. Now the negotiations begin. Now she has to go through the process of finding the cheapest version of what I've asked for possible. So now begins the process of sending me link after link of the clearance version of what I've asked for. I really want to say to her that if it is THIS much of a hardship, don't fucking bother. It drives me completely crazy. And ultimately makes me resentful and angry. Truly. I understand the financial limitations of my parents. I know they are both retired blah blah blah. That's the whole reason I give them a wide variety of prices, this way, theoretically, they could get me something I would like without breaking the bank. Instead it becomes this whole tit for tat thing where I end up regretting asking for anything at all. Yet, if I were to say there's nothing I need or want I keep getting harrassed until I give up a list. The whole thing is so infuriating I just want to not have to do it anymore.
3 comments:
"Amazon wish list. Must be purchased from Amazon wish list. There are no acceptable subsitutes."
Memorize this mantra and do not deviate it from it for even one second.
But that's how retired people have fun! It's like their own personal game show.
I use the amazon wish list too...it works great but for some reason as much as my mom gets on me to update it everytime a gift giving occasion comes along, I can't get her to start one.
I even have to put ideas on my wish list for my husband because he won't do one for himself but he is still really hard to buy for. I just put "for J" in the comments so they know if it is for him or for me.
I feel your pain Jo, too bad you can't just tell them not to get you anything...
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