My birthday is coming up and I know exactly what Doug is getting me.
Nothing. And that’s just the way I like it.
You see, Doug gave me a Christmas gift to remember early on in our relationship. He was going away for Christmas and had dropped his gifts off – there were two – one was obviously clothes and the other was in a box – not too large – about the size that a watch would come in.
I so wanted (and needed) a watch. I was a single mom at the time and didn’t have a lot of extra money to indulge myself. But here (I was sure) it was. What a great boyfriend Doug was!
So, Christmas morning and my kids are all giddy and happy and so am I because, you know, I’m getting this fantastic gift. I opened the obviously clothes gift first – it was a beautiful angora sweater – which I am SOO allergic to, but that’s ok because there’s still one more….
I carefully remove the paper and see the brown box that doesn’t really look like a watch box because there’s no writing on it – it’s just plain brown cardboard.- but you know, that’s ok. Until I look inside and there is…..
A DOORKNOB.
Yep, a doorknob.
You see, because I was a single mom and I didn’t have a lot of money or know-how on doing basic repairs to my house – like put a new doorknob on my bathroom door and apparently Doug didn’t like the method we used to close it, which was to stuff a towel into the hole – he thought it would be a brilliant idea to give me one for Christmas.
Our rules now? We don’t buy each other gifts for birthdays or anniversaries, and only stocking stuffers at Christmas. And if I want a watch? I’ll buy it myself.
