The Worst Gift I EVER Got!

When you join a family, marrying into it of course, you expect to be welcomed into the family with open arms. That your new in laws are going to take the time to get to know you. Who you are, your likes and dislikes. Not so with mine.

It was my second Christmas as the newest daughter-in-law, and I had been eyeing this gorgeous Chenille throw at the mall for a couple of months. It was expensive, but I had been waiting for it to go on sale. My mother-in-law worked at this particular department store and I knew I could get it with her discount combined with the sale price for a steal! The throw was a lovely shade of burgundy and would match our new sofa perfectly. It was soft and so pretty. I could just imagine the nights I would spend snuggled under it, watching Friends with my hubby. My mother-in-law told me that since she knew I wanted it, she would buy it for me as my "big" Christmas gift. That was great! It would save me a ton of money, I always got money for Christmas from various relatives and thats what I was planning on putting it towards. Now I could use it for shopping, maybe a new cute outfit!

I waited with bated breath for Christmas to come. I just knew that it would be beautifully wrapped and placed under the tree, by my Mother-In-Law who would finally show me that I had been accepted. I would be more than just "that girl" her son married.

Christmas morning arrived and so did we. As per usual, we sat down to a lovely breakfast, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, eggs, sausage, anything that might clog your arteries! Then we all proceeded to gather around the tree in the living room to start the whole gift opening rigamarole. I opened earrings I would never wear, candle holders with giant pressed daisies captured between two pieces of glass, and some sort of feet exfoliating kit. All the gifts had been given, and I was "throw-less". I should have known better than to hold my breath over that one.

I resolved the following day to go and buy it myself, before it was sold out and gone. I could brave the post-Christmas shopping crowds for this ONE thing. Now, hubby and I lived out of town and after we got back from our shopping trip, we had to get packed up and ready to leave the next morning for our 2 day drive home. Easier said than done. We were leaving with more than we came with. It was inevitable that we would leave something behind. I just didn't think it would be the precious throw I had just bought for MYSELF. Sure enough, it got left behind.

We searched through all the luggage and packages when we arrived home, it just wasn't there. Hubby called his mom to let her know we had left it behind and to keep her eyes open for it. She found it a couple of days later in the guest room, tucked behind the closet door, just out of sight. Could she send it to us, or bring it the next time they came to visit? Why, of course! We didn't even need to ask! Yet time after time that year, each visit left my sofa lonely and cold with out my lovely throw to warm the cushions.

Christmas time rolled around again, as it tends to do. Right on schedule, we headed out to the In-Laws for the traditional Holiday get together. I was excited to finally be reunited with my throw. I didn't see it when we initially arrived, and forgot about it in all the food and catching up. Christmas morning arrived once more, and as we passed gifts around, an oddly familiar shaped one made its way into my lap. I looked at it suspiciously. I started peeling the tape up from the seams, slowly as I like to not rip the paper. I could see the fringe starting to peek out at me. It was my throw. I had BOUGHT my OWN Christmas present. My mother-in-law had held on to my throw all year long, wrapped it up and regifted a gift I had bought myself with MY Christmas money. I can't think of anything worse, than unknowingly buying your very own Christmas gift!