I saw a post on social media regarding a baby shower that a young lady had. From the pictures she posted, it was beautiful. I forget the theme but I remember the details, down to the cake and the invitations, were very well coordinated. She posted her food table which appeared to be enough to feed an army. She had a dj that made sure the glass, sparkle filled dance floor stayed full of two steppers. It gave the feels of a fancy gala more so than a baby shower. When I had my son, our idea of a baby shower was some home cooked food, in the living room or basement of someone’s home, with friends and family. Instead of a dj, we turned on the radio and waited for a drunk aunt or uncle to set it off! (LOL)
The young lady posted pictures of the many family and friends that attended. She stated that a lot of them had come from out of town. But even with all of the food, friends, family, and partying, she was still disappointed. Can you guess why? She said she thought as extravagant as her shower was, she thought for sure her gift table would be running over!
I was immediately annoyed! Now, don’t get me wrong. Everyone, including myself, loves receiving gifts. But when will people realize that when you invite someone to an event, it often takes more than just getting in the car and showing up. Some have to take time from work. Some have to hire a babysitter. Others may have to pay for flights or hotels because they don’t live close enough to drive. Some of your guests may have to decide how to juggle other engagements so that they can be in attendance to your event. When will people start to enjoy your presence over your presents? Are people still grateful for the fact that you showed up? Do party throwers even appreciate what you had to so to get there? It’s sad to say but now its all about the gifts. If you have an event just to see what you can get, don be disappointed when you come up empty handed once everyone is gone. Save yourself some time and money and just create a registry with your favorite store(s). Save your guests some time and money as well!
Society has become so selfish. We are living in a “Give Me” world, unfortunately. It’s more so about what someone can do for you instead of what WE CAN DO FOR EACH OTHER. Can we get back to good old house parties where we just enjoyed each other’s company? Or not making every event a competition to make someone else look small or minute? Let’s go back to enjoying presence over presents and remember...to beYOUtiful!
