I just learned what an idiot I can be. Let me back up a little...several years ago someone gave me a figurine. It was a cute little scene with a boy and a girl, and a really sweet gesture. But a collector of knick-knacks, I am not...so, I stuffed it in a closet and forgot about it. Later that year, I was cleaning out that same closet and boxing up things to give to Goodwill. The little figurine went into the box without much thought. It wasn't until yesterday that I truly realized what a horrible mistake I had made. As I was shopping along Main Street with my girls, we strolled in and out of several gift shops. They all had something in common...those little figurines were in every store, encased in their own special glass case. I happened to glance at the price tag of one similar to mine. $265! Did I read that right? Suddenly, I could feel my stomach knot up a little. I glanced at more price tags. They ranged from $200-300 easily. A 5-piece nativity scene was over $1600!
So here is the lesson I learned (and it's not about money, necessarily)...what may not seem so precious to me doesn't mean it isn't valuable to someone else. This person obviously cared about me enough to give me something very valuable and something that had meaning to them. I carelessly threw it out, and for that, I deserve the torment of knowing I threw out over $250, just like that. Whether it is someone's dreams, fears, style, political preference, spirituality...it's special to them. I have to respect that about others. If I don't, how could expect them to care about me?
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