Is anyone else out there besieged at this time of the year with requests from nearly every charitable organization and political ones too? My mailbox is full and 2/3 of it goes into the trash. It’s not that I am hard-hearted; it’s just that if I send even $5 to each of them, soon they would have to be supporting me! My husband had organizations he supported that were different from mine. I do not support his organizations because I have particular ones I have supported for over 20 years. If his organizations send a postage paid envelope, I will let them know that he is deceased and no longer able to help. Otherwise, I hope they eventually get the idea that he is not participating. Political requests are automatically deep-sixed. I cannot support every candidate from my party who is running for office! Another criteria for the mail getting thrown away, is if they send me a gift. I don’t want or need special blankets, pillows, Christmas cards that don’t say what I wish to say, stickers, etc. Also, it seems many well-meaning organizations seems to think that name labels are a good idea. I have enough to do me through 2020, that is, if I don’t receive more in the mail. The ones that surprise me are the ones with flowers and birds that have my husband’s name on them. He was a very masculine, independent man who would never put such a label on his envelopes! His name was Francis (spelled with an is means a man, spelled with an es is a woman). They need to know the difference. Some of these organizational mailings smack of big advertising. If they can spend that kind of money on advertising, they don’t need my small donation. I don’t mean to sound like sour grapes, but it’s a lot of wasted paper. I know this time of year people are given to being generous, and I don’t fault them for trying. Just have to set my own perimeters and let go of the guilt trip!