Hey everyone! I have a dilemma--last night when I got home there was a box at my door from the Vermont Teddy Bear company containing a very expensive handmade Teddy Bear. The dilemma is...I don't know who sent it. It had an anonymous card, and the company wouldn't tell me who ordered it. I am dating several guys right now, but only one of them knows my address. I can't see him spending over $100 for a teddy bear when he already sent roses and took me out Saturday night. And he wouldn't do it anonymously. My nice-ex knows my address, but we aren't Valentines. The other weird thing is my phone number on the box is from two phone numbers ago. This whole thing creeps me out. I'm thinking if no one confesses in a week, I'm sending it back. What do you think? I don't really want to start asking people...did you send me a bear? After all, whoever it was wants to be anonymous.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

Answers

I'd say, accept the gift in the spirit in which it was intended, and be happy that there's somebody out there who thinks you're special and deserving of presents. This can be a tremendous boost to self-esteem at the low points in your friendships, if low points there be.

Or, you're being stalked.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

I'd keep it. Someone obviously loves you and the true sender will come out soon. It would be an insult to the sender to return it, even though you don't know who it is. It could be someone that you'd be happy to get a gift from.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

I think the person who sent you the anonymous gift wants you to figure out it was he, and only he, who sent it to you. Under the ideal circumstances, the 2 right people would be delighted to find themselves enjoying such roles. As you are enjoying the company of more than one guy, it makes me think now is not your time to look for such a relationship. If that is the case, I recommend going easy on the guy when you find out who he is. He won't need any help feeling like a loser. (uh, you may be doing the next girl he stalks a favor.)

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

I got Furbied once. It was for no special occasion, apparently: though it did arrive between T-giving and Xmas, there was no card or anything, just this Furby arriving in a non-descript box...it was when they were a Really Big Deal and I got one that was black and white and people told me it was 'rare'. Whatever. It was both kinda cute and thoughtful (I like toys and am notorious for it) and kinda scary and annoying (it talks when it wants and why it wants and it talks a LOT and hardly ever shuts up). No one ever confessed and I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a good gift or a bad one. I did sort of suspect one of my exes for a while.

Things like that just drive you nuts.

It is downstairs, and when you turn the light on in that room, it sometimes wakes up and shrieks for a while.

:)

I decided that it was meant to be a nice and thoughtful gesture, but no one ever confessed, to I had no one to thank (or blame) for it.

M

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

in high school, i kept getting these really weird things in the mail- a cut-out letter "e," a screen for a sink faucet, etc. it almost drove me INSANE trying to figure out who it was. turns out some girl i hardly knew was just trying to fuck with me. it worked.

later dated a guy who turned around and stalked me. my advice- mention the gift, but don't go nuts trying to find out where it came from.

take care

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000