It's The Thought That Counts, Right?

Have you ever received a gift from someone then turned around and gave it to someone else? You know, the regift?



Does it really matter though as long as you put thought into it? Or if meaning was carefully put into the regift given to you?

In June I won a Starbucks gift card but decided to send it to my friend in California who loves their iced chai lattes almost as much as life itself. I told her I won it and she was honored that I gave it to her instead of keeping it for myself.

Recently my pal Jill gave me a book with the original screenplay for Gone With The Wind written in it. They don't make these anymore and you can't buy them. A family member had given it to her as a girl and she just kept it in a box in her closet. Upon hearing of what a fan I am of the film, the actors and the story (hence, my daughter's name Vivian, after the leading actress in the movie), Jill surprised me with it for my 31st birthday. And to be honest, I don't know what meant more to me - the gift itself or the fact that she regifted it for me because she thought I might cherish it more than her. And I do, I absolutely love it!

On Sunday we gave our wonderful waitress at Cracker Barrel a regift. I chose a beautiful picture frame that had been given to me after Vivian was born but I never used. I thought about how Salena spoke of her new grandbaby during all of our previous visits to the restaurant. So it just seemed like it was meant to be with her, not me. After all, it had been sitting idle on my shelf collecting dust with no photo in it.

During the holidays, I often receive so much candy and food items, too much for me to consume. Therefore, I tend to regift or share the goodies with others. I have brought them to co-workers, friends or even donated them to charities in the past. I hate for things to be wasted. They might as well be eaten or appreciated by others if I don't need them or want them, right?

But, not all regifts are thoughtful and appropriate. Giving your cousin that ugly Christmas sweater that your co-worker gave you during "Secret Santa" week is not a meaningful gesture. Although this guy seems to like his.



Giving your next-door neighbor that dry fruitcake that you took a bite out of, hated and re-wrapped is also not a very nice thing to do. Neither is giving a friend or family member a used article of clothing, musical CD or other personal belonging that you just became bored with recently.

Still we all seem to have gotten what we suspect may be a regift from someone. Or we've regifted our own items at one point, perhaps out of desparation or time restrictions.

Like me, you may have been surprised by an unexpected gift that an acquaintance gave you. Feeling bad because you have nothing for that person, you grab a clean pair of animal print socks from your drawer or those four cookies leftover from the batch you made for your family. Hey, it happens!

And since folks don't make lists of what they want, you have have no clue what to buy. When people astonish you with unanticipated presents, you panic and grab the first thing you get your hands on. Most of us just don't know how to shop or we do so in a hurry; so this sort of craziness is bound to occur over and over again.

Tell me what is the worst gift or suspected regift that you have ever received? What kinds of items (good or bad) have you regifted and given to others? Don't be shy! I know you've done it too! Plus I may need some new regift ideas for this holiday season. ;-)