Re: Sticky situation

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@LilacTree I think it probably meant more to you giving Her that piece that you really loved, thanhad you given Her a piece you really did not wear any more.

I remember years ago I was working with a nice young girl in a retail job....I felt like her Mother. She was very young and innocent....never had had much growing up. One day she mentioned she loved Opals....I had a lovey pair of opal and diamond earrings that were so sweet! They were a flower earring. I gave her those as a just because gift....and she was SO THRILLED! It filled my heart with such joy to see her so happy and to wear them so proudly.

now years later....I have not seen her in 20 years....I hope she still remembers our friendship when she sees those earrings if she still has them.

@SeaMaiden

How sweet and thoughtful of you. I'll bet she still remembers you every time she wears those earrings. I love opal also, it's a beautiful stone and each one is so different.

I have a reputation in my family . . . "don't compliment mom on what she's wearing because she'll take it off and give it to you!" It's true, and the older I get, the more it happens, LOL.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

AKgirl2 · ‎05-24-2016

@MickD wrote:
Awwww @LilacTree you did the right thing....what a nice gesture! I remember when my sis and I went through my mom's jewelry box after she passed. My sis is like a spazzy kid and just started tearing through the stuff and putting aside pieces that she wanted. I held my breath as she had the gold, silver, gemstone and various diamond pieces. She had a pair of opal earrings that I gave mom for her birthday. All I wanted were those as I could remember the occasion in a restaurant and the whole section sang happy birthday for her it was sooo awesome. Anyway, I got the earrings and she got the rest. I am just glad that sis can wear all that jewelry as she works outside the home and I don't....everything worked all the way around.

That's so good hearted of you...I don't think I'd be that generous...

IMO shoulda been 50/50.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

I think that when we have hundreds of anything that we have trouble parting with, we may have a problem (maybe I'm influenced by the 'Hoarders' marathon I've been watching).

I own things that are very sentimental to me, and I will want to give them to someone, when the time is right, while I can see the joy they will bring to the one who will receive them.

I had a great aunt who did this before she passed, and those things mean even more to me because of the way they were handed down. My mom has also passed some things down already, knowing who wanted them and watching them enjoy them. I think it is a wonderful thing to do for oneself as well as those who are receiving/choosing those special things to carry on with.

As for the one piece that you didn't remove before offering things up, perhaps it was an oversight on your part, but perhaps it only become overly sentimental when you realized she wanted it. What I am trying to convey is that it may have had some sentimental value before, but knowing that it was really going to leave your possession kicked it up a notch or two, kind of a reflex.

I'm not insinuating that you in particular have a problem letting go, but I think when some people do, and they start the cycle of actually letting things they love move on to others who will love them, it is very hard at first, but can become easier each time we do it.

Perhaps as we get older, the way to not get overburdened by our things is to sort through them on a regular basis, dispose of things we no longer use/need/want that don't have great meaning to us, but just as importantly, move on some of those things that do. It may help us to see that we aren't as dependent on having those things in our possession for our happiness/memories/connection to people or the past as we think we are.