This weekend, I looked over a Registry for a shower I’m invited to.
Holy Dollar Bill$, Batman!
Does anyone else remember Church basement showers where “you get what you get and you didn’t throw a fit?”
What happened to Pyrex baking pans wrapped creatively in gingham tea towels?
What happened to onesies and jammies in neutral colors? Burp pads, receiving blankets and teddy bears?
What happened to cookbooks and measuring cups and pretty hand-towels that were nearly “too nice to use?”
What happened to baby quilts lovingly crafted by arthritic fingers?
What happened to the “dainties” (tea cakes or squares) and finger sandwiches laid out by ladies in their Sunday best?
Showers I grew up attending looked like this. Without the men!
I know there’s a practical side to registering .. but I still hate it.
I’m sorry, but it often just feels like a $hakedown.
So here’s what I do.
I say “no” to the gift greed registry.
I say no to $160 coffee makers and Margarita machines.
I say babies don’t need a $300 glider to be rocked.
I just say no.
But I always attend, and I always bring a gift, something lovely and practical, something wrapped with love and sincerity and my very best wishes. Something not often found on the greed registry!
* * * What are your thoughts on “gift registries?”
