The first Christmas that I dated my high school sweetheart he gave me a gold heart shaped pendant with a diamond chip in it. It said "Love" in a ribbon of gold cross the heart. The pendant was in a red velvet lined, heart shaped, gold toned jewelry box. (I was 17 at the time and very much in love. I thought it was the most romantic gift imaginable!)The first Christmas we were married (4 years later) he forgot to get me a Christmas present (we had been married 6 mos to the day on Christmas Eve). He didn't realize it until we were loading up the car on Christmas Eve at about 3:00pm. We were due at my mom's at 5:00 pm for Christmas Eve dinner and opening presents followed by midnight Mass and an hour and 1/2 drive to Lansing to be at his parents' house to open presents Christmas morning.
"Oh, Oh. I forgot your present", he said. "I'll run out right now and pick it up. I know your feelings will be hurt if I don't. I know just what I was gonna get I just forgot to pick it up. I'll go get it now and be back in a few minutes. You're gonna love it!"
So what did he get me? A bowling ball.
We were divorced almost exactly 3 years to the day of our wedding. (No, it wasn't because of the bowling ball!)
The first Christmas that I dated my current sweetie he bought me a
book, Happiness Is... A Warm Puppy by Charles M. Schulz. We didn't spend that Christmas together because he was on a ski trip in Jackson Hole, Wyoming over the Christmas holiday. But he did call me long distance Christmas Eve evening to let me know that he was thinking of me.He bought me a piece of jewelry for Christmas the first year we were married (4 years later), as he has each of the 23 years since. And he hasn't had to be reminded even once.
Happiness is not being forgotten at Christmas :-)
[The Advent calendar number graphic used in this post was created by NicNic at the NBK blog.]
