A Holiday Story

here’s how it goes down (every year)….  as christmas approaches and everyone is scurrying about, he asks me for a list (and says, “let’s just buy one or two things this year.”)  i say, “you know what i like….surprise me.”  he says, “i have no idea.”  i say, “we’ve been together 35 years, surely you have some clue.”  he says, “ i have no idea.  i need a list.”

i make a list.  i try to include as many interesting, practical or silly ideas as i can think of so that i still won’t know what i am getting.  if i list enough items i start to forget what i put down there.  i try to be as specific as possible to avoid any confusion.

 i put the list in an obvious place and nothing happens for a few days.  then one day, the announcement is made.  this is the day.  it’s all going to happen.  in one shopping spree.  likely at one store…. (no, it’s not the mall!)

after a few initial questions about the specifics of the items, he heads off.  i stay near my phone….. sure enough, here come the calls.  the specifics weren’t specific enough.  what about this?  what about this color?  or brand? or size?  i can pretty well tell that he is starting at the top of the list and checking things off one by one….(forget that only two gifts idea!)

 friends, this used to frustrate me.  i would look around at other women receiving lovely, expensive and very unexpected gifts and be a little bit jealous, you know?  but not anymore.  i’ve got a guy who loves me and wants to please me and this is just his way.  i’ve come to appreciate how special that is and the whole thing makes me very happy.

soon this year’s pile will appear.  wrapped in a rather crude fashion in last year’s paper…can’t remember at the moment what i wrote on that list, so it’s all good.   i can hardly wait!

p.s. supposedly, there may be an additional "surprise" item this year..... the suspense is killing me!