I remember setting our small little card table next to the dusty air vent in our small little Provo apartment. Two students, just married, celebrating their first Valentine's Day together as husband and wife. I made a special dish: lasagna with a loaf of Italian bread. He came home from school and we dimmed the lights and dined in our tiny kitchen that still had the horrible yellow and brown tile from the 1960's.
Once dinner was consumed and brownies dished out, we presented our gifts to each other. I, excited about the cuff links I bought him from Banana Republic, begged that he go first because the anticipation was killing me. I knew he'd like them. He had just started wearing French cuffed shirts and they were a symbol he was an adult wearing fancy, adult clothes.
The look on his face when he opened the small box was priceless. Shock. Glee. Sincerely grateful.
He then excitedly handed me his gift to me: a Kit Kat Bar and a card. Ohh! I thought. What could be in the card? Surely something wonderful. He wouldn't just give me a card and a candy bar.
I read the card. It was sweet. It said he loved me. I thanked him and then asked, "Is this... it?"
"Don't forget about the candy!" He said with a proud smile. "It's your favorite."
"It is?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said still as confident as ever.
I told him I really liked Kit Kat Bars, but Snickers was my favorite.
"Oh. But you do like Kit Kat Bars, right?" He asked.
"Yeah. I do," I said half trying to hide my disappointment.
Mature me should have just accepted the gift as a sign of love, but I was young and dumb and quite selfish: I wanted to be as shocked and happy about his gift to me as he was with my gift to him. Sigh. I still had much to learn about life and that giving is not about what you get in return.
Fast forward a year later, Valentine's Day 2006. He sat me on our little bed in our little apartment and handed me a beautiful, velvet box. I opened the present and was so shocked I almost cried- a strand of creamy pearls. It was the most perfect Valentine's gift I had gotten, not just because of the cost, but because he knew I wanted pearls since I was a little girl.
And what did I give him? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Kit Kat Bar.
What's the most memorable Valentine's gift you've ever gotten?
Or given????!
36 comments:
A friend worked in the botany greenhouses at BYU. She found out that I was going to be alone, again, for Valentine's Day. She took some random cuttings that day, put them in a beaker, and she and her boyfriend came over after all my roommates went out on their dates. Best and only Valentine's Day present I've ever gotten. Still have the beaker.
(That first comment must've been pretty suggestive for you to have removed it. :-D)
that is so cute :) i think boys ideas of gifts are different than girls sometimes. mark has both wowed me and...disappointed, haha!
That is so funny! I've never really done the gift thing on Valentine's Day.
I love this story!
sweet story - it's funny how we learn to grow up even as adults who are in love.
i made my husband an anatomically correct knit heart the first year we were dating. i was a student and didn't have much money, and wasn't quite sure what to give or spend on someone i had only been seeing a few months. he loved it, and i find it laying all over the house now.
Aw, cute story! On our first Valentine's Day my husband sent roses to my job and somehow the florist messed up and sent me another dozen. Of course, I didn't mind. :)
awe - love the story!!! - 1st Valentines are always "so much" more right? - after 8+ years we are so laid back - but i still get all giddy about my gift - i think this year might be the first year i ever got him anything (i think of this as the girls day) - i sent him a pic of a 10ct engagment ring - he went to Barneys - i don't think it's a ring - but i'll be very happy with Barneys :o)
Awww...this is so sweet, Tiffany. I have never actually had a Valentine on Valentine's Day, but...my nephew gave me an apron this year that says Kiss the Cook, so that would be the most memorable gift for me.
Happy Valentine's Day lady! :)
Awww, that's a really sweet story.
Happy V-day!
Awe, such a sweet story. I have a horrible memory so I don't remember any one specific day but I do love spending the day with Johnny and when I was younger, I was my momma's valentine
Awww cute story!
We don't typically exchange "gifts" but we usually go away this time of year..today we don't have any plans but I am suspicious that the hubby is up to something<3
Oh how lovely! I am personally not a big fan of Valentine's Day, but love thoughtful gifts whenever they are given :)
love this story! we haven't been big on exchanging gifts in the past but this year we've both hinted that we have a special surprise for the other person. my MIL offered to babysit tonight so we're going to enjoy a babyless date! :)
That's a great story and well-written. I've found that Valentine's Days have improved as time has gone by for us too. It has helped me to be very specific about what I would like; then I usually get what I most want!
@Emily- Haha! No! It was just spam!
@Stacey- Thank you! That means a lot coming from an English major!
Sometimes I get him something and he forgets and vice versa, but at the end of the day, the love is always there!
Last year I was so sad that Izzy wouldn't be here for Valentine's Day. He was still in Milwaukee and couldn't get the time off work.
However, he sent me this sweet little heart necklace I'd been lusting having. He sent it so that he knew it would get to me on Valentine's Day. And after being with guys that always got me stuffed animals (wth, I'm not 5) or chocolate (unless it's Godiva I'm not a chocolate girl) it was nice to have a guy who actually paid attention.
Happy V-day lady. Are you wearing your pearls today?
@Krysten-So glad you got a good one! I'm not wearing them because I'm teaching, but best believe I will be when I see him again!
lol. gift giving can be SO TRICKY! so so tricky!
i try to keep my expectations low for the most part. lol!!! i have been warned that my v-day gift isn't all that fancy, but i am not worried about it. we will have a good dinner and a nice night, and that is fine by me. :)
I gave Ben a painting this year. :)
awwww such a cute story!! :)
xo,
Sandy
Sandy a la Mode
I laughed out loud to this because I can just hear your voice backing up the dialogue. You two are so awesome.
A Kit Kat bar?! Lol... I still battle with myself about being selfish on days like these. No matter what we say, we all want the little velvet box (btw, pearls are always good and I bet you look lovely in them). :)
Honestly, I'm afraid what my boyfriend would pick out if he were to buy jewelry... He's excellent in every way except that (so I'm quite happy with flowers).
I feel like I was right there in that first apartment. I remember those days of being newly married, in love, and happy with nothing. I think your reaction was typical of a young girl and looking back it shows how much you have grown. That Mr. Branflake more than made up for it the next VD!!! xo
This is so sweet! I think we've all been there, disappointed by a gift or worried that ours didn't live up to the one we'd just received (although John's become a much better gift giver!). I think my favorite Valentine's gift was a vintage tafetta and velvet skirt John saw me admiring in a little shop window is Hayes Valley months earlier–he surprised me with it and sweets from Miette last year!
This is so funny and sweet. My hubby just got me flowers. I got him nothing...
Amy
Fashion and Beauty Finds
Those are beautiful pearls!
TGIF!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
This felt very "Gift of the Magi," in the sweet, lesson-learned kind of way. Loved it.
Awww...what a sweet story! And really, Kit Kats are pretty great. But pearls are SO MUCH BETTER.
Where did you get the idea that i had stopped following you? I haven't!
@Bourbon- Oh, I was being snarky because I ate rabbit.
What a lovely story! I've had those disappointing reactions, too, which I now look back on and wish I had reacted better (i.e. less selfish). Ah, live and learn!
xoxo J
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