Respecting personal space

*sigh*. Where to begin.

I guess to begin with, I'm not an only child, but this seems to be an only child tendancy I have. I like my stuff to be my stuff. I know this sounds childish right off the bat, but hear me out. I like my things, I take good care of my things, in some cases, I pay good money for the things that I have, and as a result, the first two things I mentioned are the case. I am also generous with what I have. I like to think that I freely give things to people that they have said they like, i lend people things is they mention they'd like to borrow something and generally I offer things up pretty quicly if I have something that someone else could use.

What I do not like is people taking liberties with my things and helping themselves to them. It's just a pet peeve of mine. Coming into my room and taking items that clearly belong to me (in some cases, with messages to me written on them) and using them it not cool with me. Just don't do it.

I came home today to find that this is the 3rd time that this has happened. The first two I let slide. The second not so much out of choice, but more because I didn't want to acknowledge that whoever was doing this had messed with the item they did mess with. But today's item really got me mad. Mostly because it was something given to me by a friend of mine who I no longer get to see often because she's moved to Syria. Now if they had come to me and just said, hey, can I borrow this? I'd have been like, Of course! Let me know show you some cool things about it. But rather, they went to my bookshelf, sifted through the many, many, many things on there and picked it up. (I say many things because my bookshelf houses not only books but also blaank wedding invitations, my husband's antique watch collection, and a bath set I got for my bridal shower).

So at some point in time, this person went through my room, spent time standing in front of my bookshelf with my personal items identifying things, and then waited until I was gone to work to take something and use it. And then the stupidity of it all, THEY DIDN'T EVEN REPLACE IT. Similar items to this are available everywhere else in the house. Why did they feel the need to take mine? Never, in the entire time have I lived here, have I offered this item to anyone. And for specific reasons. Obviously because it has sentimental value to me and I cherish it for that, but also because there's a general lack of maintenance for things in this house. I like to keep my things nice.

I haven't said anything to anyone here, but honestly, what would happen if I did? It seems childish and no one would hear me out. I'd just seem like a spoiled kid who doesn't want to share. Which isn't the case. I like to share quite a bit. Just on my own terms.