Gift receiving dilemma, how to respond? (couple, serious, accept, doctor)

[Dee74]

Here is the problem, my sister is a natural cures/health junkie, buys tons of expensive cures, tonics, books etc. All of this is ok as it is her money and body.

Now the dilemma, for our birthday’s she sends hundreds of dollars of this stuff to us, we have asked and told her several times not waste her money since we like to manage our own health and make our own choices. She has no health insurance, does not make great money but is making it, this stuff is very expensive. We feel awful throwing this stuff in the trash knowing she could use the money.
Here is the question, should we send it back to her or just say thank you and toss it?

[mishigas73]

If you've already made your position known, there's nothing you can really do but accept it. She feels strongly about it, obviously, so to do anything else would be an affront to her.

(Isn't there anything else you can do with it besides tossing it though?)

[Dee74]

Could give it away, but as nurse could not bear the thought of someone possibly getting hurt by something I gave them.

[mishigas73]

Originally Posted by Dee74

Could give it away, but as nurse could not bear the thought of someone possibly getting hurt by something I gave them.

I hear that.

It's a shame, but this is what makes her happy. You have to at least give her that. Maybe try to tell her that it's "too much"? (I don't know what a couple of hundred dollars worth of this stuff is...but maybe ask her to pare it down a bit?)

[Twinkle Toes]

I hear ya. I would be upset to receive all that stuff too. My mom is a Kevin Trudeau freak and constantly talks about how horrible Splenda is and everything else I either eat, wash with, medicate with, put on my body or into my body. Always yappin' about the stuff she reads in Kevin's books. Yet here's the deal - I'm healthy doing the things I do and living the way I live. She's seriously overweight and can barely walk.

This one blew me away ... a couple months back my dad made spaghetti dinner. He boied the spaghetti in water, just like any one of us would. Mom asked him if he had used the filtered/purified water to boil the spaghetti in. Dad said, no he used the tap water. Mom refused to eat any of the spaghetti because it was not boiled in purified water. Dad and I always thought the act of boiling the water itself killed any germs or whatever that may have been lurking in the water. According to my mom and probably Kevin Trudeau, boiling water does not kill germs and stuff. Who knew mom was a doctor, scientist and physicist all rolled into one???

Enough with the rant. I know how the OP feels when her sister yaps incessantly about organic stuff or natural stuff. Like the rest of us are just a bunch of idiots who are just by the grace of God clining to life.

[Barkingowl]

Re-gift it or sell it on Ebay.

[Metlakatla]

Send it back to her. Tough, I know, but she'll keep doing it unless you do.

[deerislesmile]

Find a "natural" company that you would like to get something from and mention it before your birthday rolls around. "Hey Sis- I found this fantastic new company XYZ. You should check it out- I saw some things you could always buy me for my birthday!" I don't know.. it might work?

And I would refrain from sharing anything with her that might be "wrong" with you- if she doesn't know what ails you, she can't very well find a cure.

[Mayor_McCheese]

Sell it and then send the money back to her on her birthday or Christmas

[Dennis58]

I say you should check the active ingredients on these products. Some of them might turn out to be good household cleaners. Or good waxes for your car. Or good types of plant food. Or good weather caulking for cracks, and window sills. The list goes on....................