The box that I put out at the curb with Goodwill written in big black letters on top (as per their instructions) was filled with china. Some of it was good English china. Some of it was not. All of it was carefully wrapped in white foam sheets, which had kept it safe since my last move.

Had you stolen the entire box of china, I never would have known.. I would have lived to the end of my days thinking that Goodwill picked up my dishes, sold them and put that money to good use. Therefore, I’d like to extend a special thank you: Thank you for tearing the tape off of the box and rifling through it. Thank you for covering my front lawn with white foam packing sheets. Thank you for taking every piece of good china and leaving behind the dross.

You are a thief, and you are lowest sort of thief. You took advantage of my generosity and you stole from a charity. Do you really think that you’re too good to drink out of a plain white mug that says "Metro Toronto Zoo" on the side?  You should be drinking foetid water from a sewer.

That which you stole was my mother’s wedding china, and she gave it to me when I moved out of University residence and into my first apartment. When I moved to my latest home and began a new phase in my life I was pleased to be able to pass it along to someone else. That someone else was not you.

I truly believe that we get what we deserve, in this life or the next. Good luck to you.

As for the china, it’s a very rare pattern. If you live in the Annex and friends of yours have recently started using china that looks like this, you might want to dine elsewhere.