Provident and Resourceful
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:04 PM
Henry celebrated his first birthday last week (have I mentioned that? No less than seven times?). As previously noted, it was tricky coming up with a suitable birthday gift as Henry is the youngest of five boys and when it comes to boy-toys we have 1. been there and 2. done that.
Thinking back over the last few months, I realized we have bought several wonderful items and any one of them could have counted as a gift. The new swing for the backyard swingset: Happy Birthday! Big boy carseat: Cumpleanos Feliz! Ergonomically-correct Kelty Kids backpack for our many family hikes: Enjoy your special day!
But because I did not buy any of these items within the week of his Henry’s birthday, I felt conflicted. Is it unfair to Henry, I asked my husband, if we don’t get him something really special to open on the actual day of his birth?
While I’m not a cheap person, I couldn’t bring myself to spend money on an item Henry may or may not enjoy simply for the sake of it. After much soul searching and a good discussion with Paul, I decided to forgo an official gift and count his amazing Kleen Kanteen baby cup as his present from Daddy and me.
Several well-wishers at the party took a similar route, which I wanted to share here. My sister Joanna went to a local consignment shop and bought these lovely wooden trucks and a pair of barely-used jean overalls. My sister-in-law went to the same shop and bought a beautiful smocked jumper. I love that neither of them felt compelled to buy something brand-new, and instead used their resources wisely and still honored Henry (and me) with a sweet and generous gift. (Of course, I loved all the gifts, please don’t get me wrong.)
I was looking at those trucks from my sister this morning, admiring how clever they are, and wishing it was always appropriate to take a *green* approach to gift giving. Lately, I’ve had a stirring on my heart to pursue a year of simplicity, to be less of a consumer while still being a generous giver. Can the two go hand-in-hand?
Can a mom (like me) who does not make homemade jams and lavender sachet bags still avoid mass-consumerism? I love vintage and pre-used, but maybe everyone does not. I don’t want to insult someone by offering a used (but not worn out) item to a friend or a child. And I wonder, if one does go that route, is there an obligation to disclose that while this item is not brand-new, I do think you’ll enjoy it nonetheless. And also, we are decreasing our carbon footprint! (I think that last one will really resonate with the kids.)
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