It only takes one well-meant gift gone horribly wrong – you know, the kind that makes you say things like “Honey, just what size do you think I wear?” – to convert the staunchest of “surprise-me” types. As a lifelong devotee of The Surprise, I scoffed at all those present-peekers, wish-list makers, and folks who bought gifts to themselves from their spouses year after year. What was wrong with them, after all?
One of my college boyfriends was the best gift giver I’ve ever met – every gift he gave me when we were dating was creative, romantic, witty, useful, or meaningful. Though I never dropped a single hint, not one special occasion passed by without him presenting me with some wonderful new token of his affection (and did I mention that he had a real knack for knock-out gift-wrapping?). But of course, that was a long time ago.
College is just a memory now, and I’m happily married to an incredibly wonderful guy who’s a perfect match for me. However, on our first Christmas together as a newlywed couple, my new hubby gave me a real clunker of a gift (and no, I won’t tell you what!), and I wistfully recalled my college boyfriend with the magical ability to give perfect presents and wondered whatever had happened to him. After all, this is the same guy we’re talking about.
How could my oh-so-romantic boyfriend have turned into such a ho-hum gift-giver? He hadn’t. To be fair, the problem was mostly my fault. I’d developed awfully high expectations, never dropping hints if I saw something new I liked or if my tastes had changed. The truth is that even the most romantic lover or the closest friend can use a hint now and again, especially for Valentine’s Day. (You know what I mean; what did he actually think you were going to do with that four-and-a-half foot singing stuffed pink poodle he got you last year, anyway?).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a faithful follower of The Surprise. I never peek at presents before Christmas, pick out my own gifts, or instruct my sweetie just what to buy for me. I have, however, become a skilled hint-dropper. For instance, I created a gift registry at Umbra Essence Candles (gift registries aren’t just for weddings, I’ve discovered). And conveniently, Umbra has decided to offer a hint-dropping service this Valentine’s Day. You create a registry, and then Cupid shoots an arrow your honey’s way (or your Mom’s or friend’s or neighbor’s way), and when he (or she) purchases a gift from your registry, there’s a 20% discount. Just stop by to register and fill out the list of people for Cupid to call.
So Cupid will do my hint-dropping for me secretly, my sweetie knows he’s getting me something I’ll really like, I get a gift that I know I’ll enjoy, and he gets a discount. And I still get to be surprised!
Santa’s on vacation – so get on Cupid’s List!
By Amy Murray
