Did you hear about the heart shaped potato the lady gave to President Obama when he was on the Dave Letterman show? Well, this isn't it. This one is from our small crop in the backyard. Alan brought it to me the other day and said, "I have a present for you." I smiled when I saw the potato. Every time I get one of his little gifts, I know why I love him. When they say, it is the little things that matter, I know it is true. Nothing says, "I love you." like a heart shaped potato.
I remember something that happened when I was working in a shop in my late 20's. During one of our breaks, we ladies were telling about the gifts we received for Christmas from our husbands. Most everyone got rings or watches or clothes or something personal. The funny thing is, I don't remember what Alan gave me that year but I remember what the youngest girl in the group got. Her husband gave her her own chainsaw. If you think this is meant to be a funny story, it is not. The room got quiet when she told us what he got her. Not much else was said. But later, when she was out of ear shot, she was the butt of jokes about her and her husband. I suppose I laughed and joined in, I don't really remember. What I do know is that now, nearly 40 years later, I wish I had stuck up for her.
I have always received little gifts from Alan for no particular reason or occasion. Like the little blue plastic smurf that he gave me when we were on a trip out west. It was cute and made me laugh. I set it up on top of one of the night lights in our motor home. Somehow it fell off and went down onto the bulb and melted, leaving a big gaping hole where his mouth should have been. When I saw it, I threw it in the waste can not thinking any more about it - until Alan found it. He said, "you're not going to throw this out are you?" I could tell by his expression that he thought I should have been more careful with it. That was when I realized how sensitive and sentimental he is.
In my china cabinet are a lot of little oddities that only he and I know the meaning of. I often wonder what my friends think when they are looking at my nice dishes and see the little blue smurf guy with a black, burnt hole where his face should be. Do they tell someone and laugh at what they've seen? Don't get me wrong. Alan has given me many nice gifts over the years, but the ones that still remain in my memory and make me smile are the little things - like the little birds nest with 2 tiny speckled eggs in it and the little, miniature Dr. Seuss, plastic Cat in the Hat that he found.
I hope the girl who got the chainsaw, still gets odd and unusual gifts from her husband. I hope her life is easier now than when they had to work so hard to get in enough wood for the winter. I hope they still laugh like kids in bed at night over something silly that happened during the day.
One of my friends has dared me to put my potato on eBay. I might have to. I don't think it will fare too well for the next 20 years in my china cabinet.
2 comments:
OH MARIE, funny story, and so touching, Yes I can see why you would love your guy, not to mention he knows how to do everything, if only he had enough time to do Everything huh? I was single for a long time, so know how handy tools can be.. When My niece got married, I gave her, her very own pink tool box.. wonder if she still has it..
Nice to read your interesting stories.. Keep those thoughts coming.. Not often I read blogs or write on them, but yours are special and so are you.. Thanks for sharing..
Unless you want some hurt feelings, you better not sell that potato! Maybe you can dehydrate it or freeze-dry it or something! Since it can't last forever, I'm sure he'll understand if only a photo of it goes in the china cabinet next to that Smurf. (Funny thing is, I just told Fred about the Smurf not too long ago when we were discussing little items of non-value that are impossible to get rid of, because of the meaning behind them.)
No amount of money on Ebay is worth the sentimental value of Dad's little gifts! Gracing a special spot in my dining room is the buck-toothed pottery rabbit that he got me at the Yankee Peddler craft show (on the day he got lost) that says "You're Somebunny Special", and in the basement is the toolbox with the good, sturdy tools and the hilarious picture of "mom & dad" taped inside the lid, and in a special box are all the cards with the drawings of the guy with the funny elbow -- items that I will never part with.
A more sentimental man you will never find. One can only imagine the treasure-trove of items that he has tucked away, that are the nearest and dearest to his heart. I have to wonder if there's anything special from me in there...and what he remembers when he sees it.
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