Sunday, June 10, 2007

Where's my gift?

It was a quiet morning Chez Moppet, with Moppet's Papa, me, the laptop and the PC all companionably surfing the net together, when I came across this post by Tharini. Of course, I had to show it to him.

"Nice," he said.

In the silence that ensued, I debated whether I should leave it at that and hope he had got the hint, or hammer my point home.

I decided to go (as I usually do) with stating the obvious.

"Now that's what I call a thoughtful gift," I said, meaningfully.

He grinned. "I knew that was coming!"

He would. He knows his record with gifts is abysmal. And I know he knows, but still insist on reminding him every chance I get.

*Cough [nag!] cough*

Hey, I heard that! But really, I can count on one hand the gifts I've received from him in the 8 years that we've been together. Surely that entitles a girl to some nagging on the whole gift situation?

Although I must admit that though they've been few, his gifts have all been rather special.

One of my favourites is the paper lantern. It magically appeared in my dorm room one day, hanging over my bed from a bent wire hanger, and transforming my pokey room into a cosy haven with its warm orange glow.

But my most cherished gift from him probably doesn't even qualify as a gift. It is a handwritten note that was tucked under my pillow the day I came home from hospital with Moppet. Written with raw emotion, it is a beautiful expression of love, pride, and confidence in me.

On days when I feel like I can't do this any more, when I feel like I'm just not enough - I pull out that note. I don't really need to read it, I know it all by heart. But to see the words in his handwriting is to hear him say that he loves me, that he believes in me. That I am an amazing wife and mother. That I can do this.

Hmm...I guess I don't have it that bad after all. Sheesh! And this post started out as a complaint!

Anyway, I'd like to hear from all of you on the best gift you've ever got. I need some ideas that I can pass on to Moppet's Papa!

9 comments:

sims said...

The best gift has to be something that comes totally unexpected :)

the mad momma said...

see..thats why he was in my honour roll!

Unknown said...

Oh, the husband has always been a gem when it comes to gifts, even when he was scrapping pennies together in college. But the greatest tragedy is (yes, yes, we women are never satisfied) that he gets ridiculously expensive things that are in keeping with his taste and not mine... so I have to be shameless and go to exchange them or keep them aside to have him ask one fine day, why dont you wear those V...ce sunglasses or that watch...

~nm said...

Your hubby doesn't seem to be any different than my DH (Dear Husband). The best part is that whenever I nag him about gifts, he would very promptly tell me that I had told when we met the first time itself that I'm a very boring person when it comes to gifts. (Ours was a typical arranged marriage where boy meets girl and the decision is taken).

So after waiting anxiously for a gift occasion after occasion I decided to buy things for myself and would tell him this is your anniversary/birthday gift to me.

But not to be mean to him, I still remember how thrilled I was to get a string of pearls from him because the way he presented it to me. He was away on office work to Goa for 2 days but it got extended to a week the next day after he reached. So he promptly called me to join him. When I reached there he gave me a box. I was "WOW! A gift!" It was the usual box in a box kind of a scene. After I had opened the 4th box I found a beautfully carved miniature box..abt 2 inches in size. I thought that was the gift and was admiring it and when I opened it there was this pure white string of pearls in there! I was so shocked, excited, thrilled!

By Deepa and Supriya said...

you are opening pandora's box with this post...now let me see, I get plenty of gifts (no complaints there), thoughtful surprises...i have to think....no, i still say he is not that bad. For mother's day I got a pair of reebok trainers, ofcourse I conveniently ignored the hidden message (get that behind on the treadmill)...but whatever, i know he cares :)
sorry for the mini post and I say moppet's papa is doing just fine, doesn't look like u have anything to complain at all.

Maggie said...

Sims: You're right! I think my hubby's overusing that card though - I get so few gifts from him that I have come to expect none at all. So anything he gives me becomes a huge deal! :-)

MM: Ah well, I guess if he was also a prolific gift-giver that would make him a perfect man, and we all know that species is extinct! :-)

Kiran: Ah the problem of plenty! I must confess though, sometimes I wish I had that problem....

NM: Wow, that's beautiful!

Orchid: LoL! A whole new dimension to the term 'meaningful gift'!

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

Gifts! Dh always says he's not a 'gif person'. I don't know what he means by that though, is there any other kids ? LOL.

But he's given me some really nice gifts (I even did a post on that once) and surprises. His worst gift ever? He came back from a trip recently and bought me a Braun Silk-epil epilator. If that's not giving me a hint, what is I'd like to say? What makes it worse, is that I already had one at home but was too lazy to use it :)

Maggie said...

Hmm, Poppins there's another thought you've put into my head. What's worse, no gift or a bad gift from hubs?

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

Eeks I just re-read my comment. Bunch of typos. This is what happens if you have comment moderation. Hmphf.
It should read as: Gifts! DH always says he's not a 'gift person'. I don't know what he means by that though, is there any other kind ? LOL.