Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's the golden rule. It's not easy to follow when everyone around you is telling you to do the opposite...
My son in Colorado surprised me this year. He sent a huge box with presents for myself, his grandma, and all his nieces and nephews in Phoenix for Christmas. He sent it to mom's house knowing we'd be driving to Phoenix for our family Christmas get-together on the 27th and could distribute them all. By mistake, he also sent presents for his dad, his dad's wife and her son who live in Tennessee in the same box.
My son in Colorado surprised me this year. He sent a huge box with presents for myself, his grandma, and all his nieces and nephews in Phoenix for Christmas. He sent it to mom's house knowing we'd be driving to Phoenix for our family Christmas get-together on the 27th and could distribute them all. By mistake, he also sent presents for his dad, his dad's wife and her son who live in Tennessee in the same box.
The gifts were all thoughtfully purchased - something each person would really want regardless of size and difficulty in shipping. Mom got large picture frames, big enough to hold pictures of her 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. There were other large and heavy boxes as well, including one for his dad.
We had a wonderful Christmas with the family in Phoenix and I returned home to my ex-husband's presents in my livingroom. My son texted me his address and asked if I'd ship them for him. Yes. The sooner the better. I put them in my car and hit the UPS store on my way in to work Monday morning. UPS wanted $50 to ship the gifts because of the one large and heavy box for my son's dad. No way. I decided to try the post office on my lunch break to see if they were more reasonable. I wrestled my way through the door of the post office, set the heavy box on a counter and took my place in line. "$48.53", I heard the clerk tell the lady at the counter, whose package was 1/3 the size of mine. "Oh, no", I groaned. "Then how much is mine going to cost?"
"You must be shipping something special to send that big of a box", a lady in line commented. "Actually, they are my ex-husband's Christmas presents my son sent to me by mistake", I replied. "I'd send them C.O.D.", the lady advised. I thought about it - for a moment. My son's thoughtfully purchased gifts wouldn't be so special if the person receiving them had to pay to get them. If my Christmas presents came C.O.D., I'd rather not get them at all. No, I wouldn't send them C.O.D. "You should take them home until your son sends you the money to ship them", the man ahead of me suggested. I thought about it - for a moment. My son had already paid to send these presents once, along with many other large, heavy gifts. I can't imagine what it cost to ship them the first time. Everyone makes mistakes- should he have to pay so dearly for something that was meant to be a blessing? I couldn't do it. I'd bite the bullet and pay whatever the cost of shipping the package would be.
The cost came to $38.95 with the package to arrive in a week. I knew the recipients would be thrilled with their gifts and my son would be relieved when they finally got them. It was money well spent. It grated a little to have to pay to send my ex-husband and his new family Christmas presents that weren't even from me, but it was the right thing to do. Whatever the cost to pocket and pride and against advice to the contrary, it is what I would have had others do unto me.
"You must be shipping something special to send that big of a box", a lady in line commented. "Actually, they are my ex-husband's Christmas presents my son sent to me by mistake", I replied. "I'd send them C.O.D.", the lady advised. I thought about it - for a moment. My son's thoughtfully purchased gifts wouldn't be so special if the person receiving them had to pay to get them. If my Christmas presents came C.O.D., I'd rather not get them at all. No, I wouldn't send them C.O.D. "You should take them home until your son sends you the money to ship them", the man ahead of me suggested. I thought about it - for a moment. My son had already paid to send these presents once, along with many other large, heavy gifts. I can't imagine what it cost to ship them the first time. Everyone makes mistakes- should he have to pay so dearly for something that was meant to be a blessing? I couldn't do it. I'd bite the bullet and pay whatever the cost of shipping the package would be.
The cost came to $38.95 with the package to arrive in a week. I knew the recipients would be thrilled with their gifts and my son would be relieved when they finally got them. It was money well spent. It grated a little to have to pay to send my ex-husband and his new family Christmas presents that weren't even from me, but it was the right thing to do. Whatever the cost to pocket and pride and against advice to the contrary, it is what I would have had others do unto me.
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