PLEASURE FROM GIVING

         Yesterday I did something that was really fun. It also made me feel very good. I wish I had done it nine years ago when I first retired. I actually had the idea some time ago, and did it first with my granddaughter. She took some of the items offered, but not many. Perhaps in time her tastes will change and she’ll inherit what was once Nana’s from her mom.

          In my 74+ years of life…well, okay, more like 60 since I quit making purchases of this sort some time ago…I’ve acquired quite a bit of jewelry. Some of it is very nice, but in any case, I liked everything I had. I wore jewelry every single day when I was working. now retired, the options for jewelry wearing just don’t arise that often.

          At Christmas time, I gave Angie a necklace and earrings my boss had brought me from Africa. I also gave daughter-in-law Amber her first pieces of amber…necklace and earrings. It made me feel very good to see Angie wearing her gift on Christmas day. I asked my first daughter-in-law, Angie, if she’d like to go through my jewelry and take whatever she liked. At some point, the second daughter-in-law will be invited to do the same.

So, AJ, Angie and Haley all came over (We’re safe because we’ve been sheltering at home and taking extreme care to stay healthy.) late Tuesday afternoon. AJ and Haley came to set up the have-a-hart trap again. I’m sad to say not only has another rat come to visit, but he’s apparently brought his wife and child. There’s the big guy and two smaller ones. So, we’ll see if any of them visit the inside of the trap tonight. I’m sure we won’t be lucky enough to get all three in there at one time.

          Anyway, while AJ and Haley stayed outside to rat watch and set up the trap, Angie and I went through my jewelry boxes. She was amazed at my memory of almost every piece of jewelry. I so enjoyed going through it and telling her who gave it to me, or where I bought it and how much I liked the various pieces. It probably took more than an hour.

          For some of the pieces, I offered the box in which it had been kept. With the exception of two boxes, she declined the remainder. It got to be kinda funny when I’d open the box, show the jewelry which she’d take and then go, “How about the box?”  I even offered to give her my largest jewelry box for all her new treasures. She declined that, but said she’d let me know if she changed her mind.

          I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to seeing Angie wearing jewelry that gave me so much pleasure over the years. I’m also looking forward to remembering from whom or where the particular pieces came when I see it again. It was so fun and enjoyable to walk down that memory lane with Angie.

          There were some pieces I didn’t offer because they still give me pleasure and I do wear them on occasion. I also didn’t offer the various gifts that John made to me over the years. I do still wear those gifts because they mean so much to me and hold such memories. Those rings, earrings, and pearl necklace were appraised when we had our Estate Plan done (I have to laugh every time I see the Estate Planning Portfolio. That sounds like something folks like the Gates and the Bezos would have, not a simple middle-class couple.) and will be inherited by our granddaughter and grandson when I join John and all our pets under the apple tree.

          It is true…there is great pleasure to be had in giving.