In Momento
Mori, Sedaris writes about the different gifts he has gotten and given,
specifically in regards to his husband. I told the story in class on Wednesday
about how Steven kept "sugar cookie candle" in his notes app for 2
years before getting it for me for Christmas. I thought I'd write a list of
gifts he's gotten me that I probably wouldn't have liked if they came from
anyone else.
1. A yellow string bracelet. The
bracelet was from Francesca's, like the candle. He HATES that store but knows I
love it, so that's always his first stop when trying to find me a gift. This
bracelet in particular said it was supposed to invoke happiness when wearing
it. Neither one of us believes in that type of thing, but when I look at it, I
can't help but feel happy. I think of him in a crowded store, absolutely
overwhelmed and over-stimulated, but still looking for just the right thing to
get me. When I opened it he said "wear that and don't worry so
much."
2. A ring I didn't pick out. This
year, a week before Valentine's Day, I went to a Pandora store and tried on
some rings while my friend got Cinnabon. I sent Steven a picture with a
combination of 2 different rings on my finger and told him I really liked them.
On Valentine's Day, he said "let me go get your gift. I didn't wrap it...
sorry." He came downstairs with a giant bag from Carlo's Bakery from a
trip we took in December. Inside was a pack of gum. He looked at me with the
biggest smile and said "DO YOU LOVE IT?" Confused, but still madly in
love, I gave him a hug and said "OF COURSE! I'm gonna have the best breath
in town!" He pulled out a ring box and said "I'm just joking. I'm not
proposing, just so we're clear. Also, I didn't really like the rings you sent a
picture of. They just didn't look... fancy enough. So I got this one!"
Surprisingly, I loved the one he got me WAY more than the two I had picked
out.
3. A pair of socks. Right before
our first Christmas together, he took a trip to NYC with his friends. One day,
I got 5 texts saying "CALL ME!!!" I'm thinking there's an emergency
but all he asked was "what kind of dog is Maxine?" Maxine is my
rescue from the shelter and she genuinely looks like a mix of every breed. I
said "I don't know, a mutt?" He said, "okay thanks. Love
you" and hung up the phone. I forgot about the conversation as quick as it
happened. On Christmas day, he could hardly contain his excitement as I opened
a pair of socks that said "I love mutts" all over it. "Do you
love them?" "I sure do. These are gonna keep my feet so warm!"
He took me to NYC on a surprise trip for my birthday that year and couldn't
wait to show me the little stand in Bryant Park where he bought them. I don't
think I've ever worn those socks but I won't ever get rid of them.
I could've lived the rest of my
life without any of these material things. If they would've come from anybody
else, I would've surely lost them or forgot about them by now. I don't look at
them and see a bracelet, a ring, or a pair of socks. I see Steven standing in
unfamiliar, crowded places and still taking his time to find me gifts he thinks
I will love (which I do). I see his face light up when he asks "Do you
love it?" He's the best, I am lucky, this was cheesy. Thank you for
reading.
