While we are on the subject of gifts, here is my birthday story. Two years ago, I bought a small, green plastic table for my garden. I liked it so much that I bought two green plastic chairs, to match. Then d and I could sit out with our table and chairs, and I was happy with that. They were cheap, but not rubbish cheap. They were ok.
Then last year, when d started home ed, I bought a larger table, dining table size, so that on fine days she could sit out and work on the patio, which she does. So I have two green chairs, a large green table and a smaller table, all to match.
One day over the summer my parents came to visit, and sat at that large table with tea and cake, and smoking. Because we only have two chairs, I brought out another folding chair for d and a kitchen chair for me. No worries.
About a week later, visiting my parents, they said they had a present for me. It was two folding garden chairs, with silver frames and white seats and back. They said they had bought them because we needed them, and so that next time they visit I won't have to take kitchen chairs onto the patio. I don't know what they cost, but probably three times as much as my green plastic ones.
I found it very difficult indeed to smile at this, and pretend any kind of gratitude for a present which is to blatently not for me, but for them. I gave one to d for her bedroom and the other is in the spare room for when she has a friend over to play on the computer. I told my parents that I didn't want them to get spoiled in the garden, and would wait for good weather. What is actually true is that green next to white and silver makes what I had look cheap and nasty, when actually it is fine.
Or am I just an ungrateful, spoilt cow?
