Love

Tomorrow is my anniversary but since it also happens to be Father’s Day here in the US, my husband and I are celebrating it a day early. We normally don’t exchange extravagant gifts for anniversaries and Christmas, electing instead to spend time together making memories, and this year is no different. We have a trip planned soon to Scotland (I am ridiculously excited about that!) so we kept our normal practice to keep gifts as small inexpensive tokens of affection (or we sometimes go for gag gifts).

I don’t normally write about certain personal details about my family or marriage, but this blew me away so totally that I feel compelled to shout out what a lucky woman I am to have such a fantastic man to share my life with. I am well and truly blessed.

So he gave me my gift, wrapped up in shiny paper, and I immediately noticed there was no card. I noticed this because it’s unusual. I don’t think he has ever not gotten me a card (always with a personalized message inside) for any birthday, anniversary, Mother’s Day, etc in all the years we’ve been together (and this year marks our 23rd wedding anniversary so that’s quite a track record).

I unwrapped the gift and here’s what I found.

There’s a little backstory to this “gift” that made it extra funny but I won’t go into that. Instead, I’ll move on to what was actually in the box.

Inside was a small brown envelope held together with a clip that has our names on it (there’s a story there too – this clip was used to hold together a small goody bag for a wedding we went to a few years back). I opened the envelope to reveal my real gift.

People, I have to tell you I let out the biggest “awww” sigh and that was just based on the cover, before I even opened the little booklet.

And then I opened it and started reading and found out my husband has been writing in it since December last year. Each page had a memory, an event, a joke we shared, an anecdote about another reason why he loves and appreciates me. Some made me belly laugh. Some made me happy-cry. Some made me melt.

It also occurred to me that this would be a really great exercise for couples to do. Keep track over time of the little things that bring you closer, make you laugh together, remind you of why you fell in love. I think I may start keeping my own little “reasons why I love you” notebook for him.

I have never been one who needs expensive gifts or grand gestures. Don’t get me wrong – those things are nice. But I’ll take a heart-felt, personalized, simple gift like this hands-down. My husband knows me well and speaks my love language fluently.

He said that it occurred to him that there are so many little things that happen in our daily life that mean a lot in the moment, but are so brief that it’s easy for them to be forgotten. He thought it would be great to capture these micro-memories in the moment and not let them fade. And I have to say, as the recipient of this incredible gift, I concur.

This is a gift I will treasure forever. He really outdid himself this time!