How many unused/unloved wedding gifts do you need?

I love these easy ones because the answer is so clear, so simple, so...duh! that it only takes a New York second to answer:

​NONE. 

OMG, what is all that gasping and ruffling of feathers and is that crying coming from over there? What the. Clearly there’s been a misunderstanding. Just to make sure we’re all simpatico here: we’re not talking about the wedding gifts you know and love and use, we’re talking about the never-used-yet, probably-never-will-be-used, not-even sure-where-they-are, don’t-even-like gifts. Unused and unloved, I’m saying. Not being used and/or don’t even like, in other words. 

Wait, what? Oh my. Let me make sure I’m getting this. You say you can’t get rid of those wedding gifts because:

THEY WERE WEDDING GIFTS! and 
THEY WERE EXPENSIVE! and you 
MIGHT NEED THEM LATER! and your 
GRANDMOTHER GAVE YOU THOSE AND NOW SHE’S DEAD!

Look, I’m sorry about your grandmother but grandmas die. And so will you. And when you die you will leave a bunch of stuff for others to wade through, sort out, box up, and get rid of. And whoever’s sweeping up after your whirlwind existence on this earth will be oh so grateful if you lighten their load by getting rid of the things that have no meaning or use to you now. There’s a Swedish word for this: dostadning, which is a hybrid of the words death and cleaning. But more on that in another post. 

If the reason you’re hanging on to unused/unloved wedding gifts is one of the four above, practice saying these words out loud: SO WHAT? Say them again, louder: SO WHAT?  

So what if they were wedding gifts? What? No one can ever get rid of things that were wedding gifts, just because they were wedding gifts? As if this would be bad luck for your marriage? Really?  If you’re not using/loving something, pass it on to someone who will.  

So what if they were expensive? If it’s about money, then just sell the damn things online or take them to a consignment shop. It wasn’t your money anyway, just saying.

So what if you might need them later? You haven’t used those 12 china egg cups yet, why on earth would you need them next year? There are people in this world who would actually use them now. So pass them on. 

So what if grandma gave you those and now she’s dead? Again, sorry about your loss but if you don’t love that painting of a lonely sheep in the field on a dark rainy night, and if you know none of your kids love it, then why hold on to it? Grandma would love for that poor sheep to go to someone who appreciates it. 

Well, THAT took a lot longer than I thought it would. Who knew that wedding gifts could cause so much ruckus? Can't wait till we get to Great Aunt's collection of "nun-sized hankies", which do, I assure you, exist. 

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