Gift-Giving Gone Wrong: When ‘Used’ Becomes Unwanted
In the world of friendships, gift-giving should be a joyful exchange, but alas, that’s not always the case! Take the wild saga shared by a 27-year-old woman on Reddit that has the internet buzzing. She gifted her friend Mary, 28, a set of elegant crystal champagne glasses she found at an estate sale, thinking they would be a delightful addition to Mary’s “high-quality, fancy lifestyle.” The glasses seemed perfect for Mary, especially given the woman’s tight budget as she navigated student debt and her first apartment.
But hold on, things took a nosedive faster than you can say “open bar.” At the gift-giving event, after Mary unwrapped her present, she asked where the glasses were from. Upon learning they came from an estate sale, Mary reportedly looked “visibly disgusted.” Oh, honey, now that’s some harsh judgment. Instead of sipping bubbly from her new glasses, Mary allegedly spent the rest of the evening whispering to other guests about how the woman had the audacity to give her a used item — and even declared her plan to toss the gift afterward. Ouch!
Feeling a bit miffed, our girl brought up the matter with Mary privately after the event, asking for the glasses back since her friend “had no use for them.” And what did Mary do? She had a full-blown meltdown, insisting it was rude to ask and not her business what happened to the gift. News flash, this is a classic case of friendship etiquette gone awry.
Interestingly, many Reddit users rallied behind the woman, arguing that Mary’s behavior was out of line. Several commenters indicated that it’s downright bad manners to plan on discarding a gift, especially one shared in front of others. Etiquette experts agree; it’s perfectly acceptable to take back a gift if it’s clear the recipient doesn’t appreciate it. So, ladies and gents, the moral of the story here? Always be gracious with gifts, and remember that not everyone sees “used” as a dirty word!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Reddit, Etiquette Experts
Image Credit: Attribution: Retrieved via Creative Commons License from ninabadzin.com
