The karma of gift giving
There is a thing in life called karma. Basically, it means what you cast out into the universe will come back to you.
If karma’s not your thing, perhaps you’re more comfortable with old-fashioned payback, the proverbial “eye for an eye.”
Whichever you choose, I can tell you it exists and it’s coming back to haunt me.
I went to pick up Sutton at my sister-in-law Ieleen’s house.
“Don’t forget to show mom your bag of animals,” she said brightly.
Sutton smiled and then proceeded to tell me how her cousin, Isaac, had gathered his old stuffed animals for her to take home. We went to the garage and she pointed me to a large trash bag filled to the brim with fuzzy creatures.
“I get to take all those home,” she said.
Ieleen was standing at the door.
“Have fun!” she said.
We went home and dumped out the bag. There were at least 25 stuffed animals in the bag, all of which are now strewn across my living room floor.
I can’t complain, however. This latest “gift” is nothing more than karma, payback for the assorted items I purchased for my nephews.
In my pre-motherhood days, I prided myself in buying my nephews all sorts of odd things. If it was loud, had flashing lights or a million small pieces, you could be sure I would purchase it for Christmas or graduation.
Electronic drum set? Check.
Six-foot long stuffed alligator that will fit no where? You betcha.
Thousand piece Lego set? Why not?
The list goes on and on. Non-washable paints. Electronic cars that went through 10 batteries a day. Guns that shoot soft (well – they were supposed to be soft) pellets.
And now I’m getting paid back. It seems Ieleen saved everything I ever gave the boys and it’s all coming back to me one loud, noisy toy at a time.
Our living room rug is now littered with the remnants of my former purchases. Sutton’s playhouse contains tons of kitchen toys from my nephew Collier; Isaac’s stuff animals (except the six-foot alligator) fill her bed.
I will not complain. I deserve each and every one of these items. Except of course the drums. It seems they went to the trash just before we found out we were expecting Sutton.
“I knew that was going to happen,” Ieleen said. “I threw them out a day too soon.”