Richard and I were married December 27, 1980. FYI, no one should have their birthday, Christmas and their anniversary in the same month but, that's beside the point. Our first Christmas together was just two days before we were getting married. So I was so excited to celebrate Christmas with Richard and shower him with gifts.
I found a big box, a vacuum cleaner box to be exact, and filled it with all kinds of individually wrapped gifts, then wrapped the big box to make it as festive I could muster. I couldn't wait for him to see what I had done for him. There were some joke gifts, but most of them were things I thought he would love and appreciate. I worked long and hard on those gifts just to see his face as he opened the big box to find it full of presents. On Christmas Eve we were to exchange gifts. I proudly went and got the box and carried it in and presented it to my husband to be. Richard who was not really used to celebrating anything, much less used to receiving gifts, didn't know what to think. So the look on his face as he opened the box was not the look I was hoping for. Instead of the look of awe and excitement, it was more like, what the heck is this. As he opened each one, he was confused as to why I had done such a thing. The joke gifts really confused him....why do I need a Christmas Pez dispenser? Anyway, we finally got through the opening of Richard's gifts and now (drum roll please) it was my turn to receive a gift, ...or possibly gifts. What had the man I loved bought for his bride to be? I just knew this was a memorable occasion, our first Christmas, our first gifts to each other, I was all a flutter was anticipation. Richard walked out of the room to get my wonderful gift. It would be something I would always treasure, a gift that I would always remember as the first gift Richard gave me, the gift I would be telling my grandchildren about.
Oh, I'll be telling my grandchildren about it alright, but not the story I imagined. In walked Richard, proudly carrying it. Grinning from ear to ear, carrying his precious gift with arms outstretched, he proudly presented the gift to his bride. There it was, my first memorable gift from my new husband..."the dead bird under glass." As all brides to be and newly marrieds would, I smiled and said, "well isn't that pretty." It took a few years for me to really tell him what I thought of it! I asked him, like I cared, "wherever did you get such a thing?" Richard proudly proclaimed before he had ever met me he had ordered this "dead bird under glass" and the taxidermist had called and said it was ready, so he went and picked it up. Since it was Christmas time he had the brilliant idea that he would present it to me. Lucky me, I will never know what I would have received if the taxidermist would have kept it a little longer.
In the 28 years of Christmases Richard and I have spent together, the gifts have definitely gotten much better. I have trained him well. If nothing else, that first Christmas gift has made a great story and has been told more times than Richard cares to recall.
This Christmas was Greg and Kayla's first Christmas together. Guess what Greg found in the storage building? Greg had the grand idea of presenting the "dead bird under glass" to his future bride. I loved the idea and knew Kayla would love it too, after all she had heard the story all her life and has retold it many times herself. Christmas Day gift giving was in full swing at our house when Greg presented Kayla the gift. She opened the box and squealing with excitement pulled out "the dead bird under glass". She told Greg that was the best gift he gave her. The torch has been passed and the tradition continues. Greg and Kayla are now the care takers of "the dead bird under glass"...until it's Amber's turn. I can't wait to tell the timeless story to Amber's future bridegroom. We know what she'll be receiving on her first Christmas.
I found a big box, a vacuum cleaner box to be exact, and filled it with all kinds of individually wrapped gifts, then wrapped the big box to make it as festive I could muster. I couldn't wait for him to see what I had done for him. There were some joke gifts, but most of them were things I thought he would love and appreciate. I worked long and hard on those gifts just to see his face as he opened the big box to find it full of presents. On Christmas Eve we were to exchange gifts. I proudly went and got the box and carried it in and presented it to my husband to be. Richard who was not really used to celebrating anything, much less used to receiving gifts, didn't know what to think. So the look on his face as he opened the box was not the look I was hoping for. Instead of the look of awe and excitement, it was more like, what the heck is this. As he opened each one, he was confused as to why I had done such a thing. The joke gifts really confused him....why do I need a Christmas Pez dispenser? Anyway, we finally got through the opening of Richard's gifts and now (drum roll please) it was my turn to receive a gift, ...or possibly gifts. What had the man I loved bought for his bride to be? I just knew this was a memorable occasion, our first Christmas, our first gifts to each other, I was all a flutter was anticipation. Richard walked out of the room to get my wonderful gift. It would be something I would always treasure, a gift that I would always remember as the first gift Richard gave me, the gift I would be telling my grandchildren about.
Oh, I'll be telling my grandchildren about it alright, but not the story I imagined. In walked Richard, proudly carrying it. Grinning from ear to ear, carrying his precious gift with arms outstretched, he proudly presented the gift to his bride. There it was, my first memorable gift from my new husband..."the dead bird under glass." As all brides to be and newly marrieds would, I smiled and said, "well isn't that pretty." It took a few years for me to really tell him what I thought of it! I asked him, like I cared, "wherever did you get such a thing?" Richard proudly proclaimed before he had ever met me he had ordered this "dead bird under glass" and the taxidermist had called and said it was ready, so he went and picked it up. Since it was Christmas time he had the brilliant idea that he would present it to me. Lucky me, I will never know what I would have received if the taxidermist would have kept it a little longer.
In the 28 years of Christmases Richard and I have spent together, the gifts have definitely gotten much better. I have trained him well. If nothing else, that first Christmas gift has made a great story and has been told more times than Richard cares to recall.
This Christmas was Greg and Kayla's first Christmas together. Guess what Greg found in the storage building? Greg had the grand idea of presenting the "dead bird under glass" to his future bride. I loved the idea and knew Kayla would love it too, after all she had heard the story all her life and has retold it many times herself. Christmas Day gift giving was in full swing at our house when Greg presented Kayla the gift. She opened the box and squealing with excitement pulled out "the dead bird under glass". She told Greg that was the best gift he gave her. The torch has been passed and the tradition continues. Greg and Kayla are now the care takers of "the dead bird under glass"...until it's Amber's turn. I can't wait to tell the timeless story to Amber's future bridegroom. We know what she'll be receiving on her first Christmas.
I love the look on your face in your picture, oh and it looks so lovely in Kayla's living room now!! HaHaHa
ReplyDeleteLove, Amber