Accepting the Unacceptable Gift

One of those interesting issues that doesn’t seem to come up a lot is what do you do if you receive a gift that you wish that you hadn’t. The gift can either be one that is something you just can’t use, don’t appreciate, or if it is just unacceptable; not all gifts are appreciated in the light that they were given. Fortunately, there are some options.

You can donate the gift to a worthwhile charity. This is best for gifts that have some practical value, and can be used by anyone. Gifts of tools, clothes, and food are best for this option, and will usually be accepted; food may have some restrictions, but some church groups, especially those with food closets, will accept a wide variety of food. However, art gifts or gifts that were made especially for you cannot be dealt in this fashion.

You can give it to someone you know that would appreciate the gift. It’s not advisable that you do with too many of your gifts, as it just seems impolite. However, for some of your gifts, this is acceptable. In some ways, this is probably the best way to deal with gifts of art, especially if you someone appreciates the piece of art more than you do. At the same time, if you think that your gift will benefit some other person greater than you would, and there is an obvious need, this is usually actually seen in a good light.

Although it may be rather rude, you can throw the gift away. There’s just some gifts where this is unfortunately the best solution, especially if the gift is obviously unacceptable. It won’t happen often, but sometimes you just get a gift where there really is no other option. In some rare cases you may wish to give thee gifts to the authorities, but throwing it away is usually the best option.

Options to avoid are selling those gifts, especially on internet auction blocks. It stretches the limits of what is acceptable for gift-giving, and can cause some issues top arise between the gift giver and accepter. It’s okay to sell the gift a few months down the road, but it’s just weird. The same applies to destroying the gift, especially if it was just given. The gift is yours to do with as you please, but if you stretch that, feelings may be hurt. Also, if you do re-gift the gift, try not to give it back to the person; unless it’s a running joke between the two of you or your group, this is extremely rude thing to even consider.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to tell the original giver; once given the gift’s eventual fate is up to you. Once a gift is given, it is yours. Do what you feel you need to do with it, without guilt.