[2Jedismom]

It's hard to explain and maybe I never will be able to...but I "sold my soul to the devil" so to speak, for so many years. I put up with so much, kept quiet and even allowed my family to suffer, because of "stuff"...not the things that really mattered, even my own special things, but stuff like second-hand clothes and cast-off furniture.

If this gift is from someone in my church or from someone here on FR (which wouldn't surprise me in the least, people are amazingly kind and generous here), then there isn't a more grateful person on this earth.

But if it's from my parents, I don't want them sitting around patting themselves on the back for how good they are to me. They treated me like crap. They told me to get out, I didn't leave on my own. They moved away and left me, I didn't move away and leave them. They took my most valuable belongings that I had given to them for safe-keeping, not to mention my cedar chest contents, and I doubt I'll ever see them again. If these appliances are from them, they likely think of it as quite the gift, quite the "reaching out". It's a worthless gesture to me.

I tell you, someone from this Hobbit Hole or from my church could give me a WASH BOARD and I'd be more grateful.

[TalonDJ]

But if it's from my parents, I don't want them sitting around patting themselves on the back for how good they are to me.

Whoever sent it clearly did not want to be known. Hence it was a gift with no strings attached. I would say take it in the spirit it was given.

I know it was extremely difficult to let go of REAL grievances as the humans we are. I saw that in my mom at my dads funeral. He had done her great wrong in the past and she could not really let it go. As someone who looks up to my mom it tore me up to see that side of her. I know that almost no one can be so saintly to give things up that way but the passage of Jesus sending out the 12 sticks in my head. He said what we hold bound on earth will be held bound. As impossible as it is there are things we have to let go. Even when we have amazingly good reasons to not let go. He let go our sins despite far better reasons.

I am sorry for preaching. This topic was something that that lay very heavy on my heard after my grandfathers funeral and I felt compelled to pass it along. My point is this. If the sender took such steps to attach no strings to the gift the take it free of your own internal strings.