It has been a year! Can you believe it? Well, neither can we.
A whole year of love, laughter, and learning has been completed, and we are having this reminiscing phase where we think about what we were doing at this time, one year ago! *no naughty thoughts please*
And with these beautiful memories of the smashing sangeet night and the dazzling reception, sits another dreaded thought in the center of my brain - THE ANNIVERSARY GIFT.
Tension levels have begun to go up as the date of the anniversary draws closer, and I slowly realize why so many couples give up on gifting each other, a few years into the marriage.
Reason – Knowing each other too well.
So, when I finally decided its high time I zeroed-in on an anniversary gift for my sweetheart, a part of my brain ruefully kept thinking about how gifts were so simple back then during the engagement phase.
It was a long distance relationship and we got to know each other solely via social media and instant messaging. I knew his shirt size, and after a little stalking on Facebook I determined the colors and cuts he preferred. So, sending a shirt and cake would usually do the trick. Next occasion – T-shirt. Next occasion – wallet. Next occasion – perfume.
Shirt-Tshirt-wallet-perfume – repeat!
Sorry for my lack of imagination, but there really is not much you can gift your man when you have random family members delivering the gifts on your behalf.
Cut to the present, when a simple act of gifting my man slowly manifests itself as rocket science. A dilemma between what I want to give v/s what he actually needs. I know he has too many shirts at the moment, he hates pink, his wallet is in perfect condition, he has enough perfumes to last him another year, and his count of watches can put anyone to shame after you incorporate all the wedding gifts. And fortunately or unfortunately, by the grace of God, there's no such wish that he always had, that hasn't still been fulfilled [that includes me as well].
So, what is it that I can gift him without burning a hole in our pockets?
OUR pockets, because we are now one unit - and every time we spend any humungous amount of money, we imagine ourselves snatching clothes from our crying unborn children!
I'm not a big fan of extravagance for the sake of society, when I present him with something I'm sure he wont appreciate. So I'm going to settle for little everyday things that he would. Personalized handwritten notes, stick-its by the pillow telling him what I love about him, letting him sleep those extra 15 minutes he's always asked of me, getting the tea right for once, taking him to a place of calm and quiet where I can listen to his thoughts, instead of the 5 star hotel where the world expects me to be.
On this anniversary, I will correct wherever complacency has set in, and that also means sporting squeaky clean pubes and glowing face. Clean clothes, if not necessarily new - smelling just as fresh as I did when we first lay our eyes on each other.
- And when somebody asks me the cliched question, "What did you gift him on your anniversary?", instead of trying to explain the importance of little things, I'll simply say "Guess!".
And then, to nod over whatever they come up with - that way, every body is happy!