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Some years ago, my aunt, let’s can her Jeanette,  invited a rather large number of friends to a luncheon at an upscale farmhouse restaurant in the Houston County area.

Everyone who was invited came to enjoy and the country dining experience and the fun and laughter that is a hallmark of long and lasting friendships.  All Jeanette’s guests were most impressed with the farmhouse restaurant and especially their cozy, private dining area. 

After being seated, the chatter focused on the old-timey decor.

“Oh, my granny had this and, oh, my grandma had one off those and Mama had ….and mammy had…

But, as the friends looked around their cozy dining area, to a one, they noticed a big, box of nicely wrapped gifts, with red bows.

“Is it Jeanette’s birthday?” Her friends whispered to each other, puzzled. “Were we supposed to bring a gift…for a family in need? Something at the church?  What in the world?

After a dinner just like at grandma’s house, Jeanette addressed her friends.

“I know that all of you are wondering about the box of wrapped gifts,” Jeanette said. “Over many years, I have received gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, souvenirs from trips, from here and there. Gifts that I did not need or want. So, I said, “thank you” with my fingers crossed.“Oh,I have wanted one of these cheese graters;, you are so thoughtful to remember me with a Panama City ash tray, you really shouldn’t have done this and that and and I meant it!

“What was I going to do with all these things I didn’t need or want? So, I’ve decided to give them to my friends.”

Jeanette said, in turn, each friend was directed to pick a wrapped, unwanted gift. open it, take it home and put it in the closet or under the bed and forget it!

The friends had a whale of a good time unwrapping unwanted presents. Never was there so much shared laughter among friends and Mayretta had the “girls” howling in laugher. “Jeanette! I gave that to you!!!

“And, I’m giving it back to you!!”

The moral of this story is, think hard before you give a gift. If you don’t want it …!