The Time I Got The Best Present Ever

Being Attentive

The Story

It was my fifteenth wedding anniversary this past week, so I thought today I’d share a story about one of the first moments I knew that my husband Nick was The One.

We were twenty years old, about to turn twenty-one. We’d been dating since December, inseparable throughout our junior spring semester, but at the dawn of summer, we were about to be separated: I was going on a seven-week trip to England, where I’d be part of a teach-abroad program. After that, we’d have a few weeks together, and then we’d be separated again for senior year because we’d been assigned opposite student teaching semesters.

I was sitting in the desk chair in his room when I spied a new icon on his desktop— an eBay link. Back then, I barely knew what eBay was, and hadn’t ever used it, but understood it was for hard-to-find things. He saw me notice the icon and immediately covered it with his hand. “Don’t look at that,” he said. It was obvious that whatever this icon linked to was a present for me— maybe a going-away gift, or a birthday present, since our birthdays are both in summer.

As I wheedled, and he teased, and I grabbed at his arm, I managed to see a few words at the end of the link, and my heart swelled.

“Buddy Blue,” the link said.

When I was young, I loved Rainbow Brite. My sister and I played with our Rainbow dolls even more than we played with Barbies, and we watched the Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer movie so many times, we wore out the tape. I wanted to collect all of the dolls, but for some reason, my family was never able to find Buddy Blue. Every birthday and holiday for a few years, my parents and grandparents would search, but that was the one character they could never find. I was grateful for the rest, of course. But it always bothered me that I couldn’t complete the set, and with my favorite color, no less.

I had mentioned this childhood regret to Nick only once. I barely even remembered the conversation. But he’d known, even early on in our relationship, that it was something important. He’d paid close attention, not only to my words, but my body language and expression when I talked about Buddy Blue. He must’ve seen the wistfulness there. Maybe he got the idea right then— I don’t know. But months later, as I sat in his desk chair and realized what he’d been shopping for, I understood: this was a guy who paid attention, even to things that seemed insignificant, solely because they seemed significant to me.

And I paid attention, too. Even though gifts aren’t my primary love language, I understood the importance of this one.

It’s been more than twenty years since I received that gift— not only Buddy Blue, but Patty O’Green, too! Together, the pair of them sit on a shelf in my room, a sweet and whimsical reminder of my husband’s attentiveness.

Attention is love; love is happiness.

Stuff You Might Like To Know

I’m currently reading THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD by Josie Silver (fiction) because I’m a sucker for magical realism, especially when it plays with time.

I’m listening to the TROLLS: BAND TOGETHER soundtrack on repeat because it’s the only thing my kids agree on right now. Is it just me, or is the song “Better Place” actually about… sex? It’s a kids movie, but, um, listen to the lyrics.

I’m baking this strawberry shortcake recipe. It is PERFECTION.

Here’s to us, in all of our imperfect, striving goodness.

Keep hoping. Keep caring. Keep trying.