I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before or not, but my birthday falls in December. December 11th to be exact. As a kid having your birthday in December SUCKED ASS. I cannot tell you how many times I got screwed out of the loot by well meaning grandparents who'd combine my Birthday and Christmas present into one. I also hardly ever had a birthday party because everyone was always so busy with family oriented things during the month of December. Eric never got screwed out of loot or a party. His birthday is in May. He always got a birthday gift and a Christmas gift, and he always got a party. Without fail. Mark's birthday is also in December so he shares my pain. (Actually, now that I think about it March was a busy month for my family. We have 7 or 8 family members with December birthdays.)
As if that wasn't bad enough as a kid, my issue spills over into adulthood, but in a different way. And this issue is not shared by my younger brother. This issue has to do with gifts and my mother. Yes, another Mother post. If I had a therapist, they would be in heaven with all my issues with my Mother.
First off, let me make it absolutely 100% crystal clear - I know it is the thought that counts with gifts. I know that it's better to give than to receive. I know that I should be thankful that I have a Mother who even gets me a gift for either my birthday or Christmas.
However...
For at least 17 years now, ever since I moved out of my parents house, I can give her a list of Birthday/Christmas gifts that I'd like. I can print them from a website, rip them from a magazine, draw her a map, and without fail every year she will completely disregard my list and get me something she thinks I'll like more. It's like my Mother doesn't even know me. I have given her a picture of a sweater. I've given her the store where it's at, the size I wear and the three colors I'd like (her pick of color!) and she's gotten me a sweater that she "thought I'd like better". Her choices are sweaters that she likes. That she'd wear. The problem with that is I'm not 60 years old. I don't want a sweater that has Santa crochet on the pockets.
Don't even get me started on the gifts she buys for me while she's traveling. OH. EM. GEE. Twice now she's given me purses that she's purchased from someone selling them on a sidewalk in San Diego. I can't even exchange that. You should see her when she's giving me something that she's picked up on a trip. She falls all over herself while handing it to me and waiting for me to open it. She swears that I'm gonna like it SOOOOO MUCH! I think those piss me off the most because it's such a waste. I will never use them and they'll end up being donated to Goodwill.
Everyone else gets what they've asked for. Eric wanted a tent for camping in the mountains? He got a tent for camping in the mountains. Mark wanted a new digital camera? He got a top of the line digital camera. I wanted a coat rack to hang on my wall? I got a leather wallet on a string. No returns. No exchanges. WHAT. THE. FUCK?!?!
I went to my parent's house yesterday to celebrate my Dad's birthday (Dec 3rd) and my birthday. My dad got new clothes he's been asking for and a new stereo for his truck. Awesome! I already knew my gift came from my parents trip to Italy. I was secretly hoping for booze because lets be real. Booze is booze. Out came the gift and it was about the size of a book and the thickness of a greeting card. I started to get excited because I'd asked for black and white photos of architecture. Easy, right? Snap a few photos with her digital camera which has a b&w setting. No big deal, right?! I couldn't be more wrong. I opened two teeny tiny color paintings of people at a table. Really? Holy fuck.
My Mother asked me for ideas for Christmas for my family. I gave her Kiley's list, told her what Lianna wanted, showed her the air compressor M has been drooling over, and gave her my Best Buy gift card while telling her that I wanted a Kindle. I started to tell her other ideas for me, she cut me off and we never went back to it. Later that day she calls me to tell me she got M his air compressor, got Kiley her things, got Lianna her things and she'd bring my Best Buy gift card back because she got me another gift.
I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what she got me since the ONLY thing I told her I wanted she didn't get.
I hate December.
No comments:
Post a Comment