The Gift of Love

     Buying gifts for people has never been one of my strong suits, while I enjoy making people happy trying to figure out the right gift that would make someone happy boggles my mind. I do OK at gift giving but often it is more like the proverbial blind squirrel finding a nut, in other words I get lucky. It must be a guy thing because I know of other men infected with the same problem.
     Women on the other hand are not afflicted with this problem, in fact they seem to enjoy gift giving and go to special lengths to find the right gift. They listen to people and learn their likes, from that information they determine the right gift. Linda had this ability, she would have next years Christmas gifts picked out and bought by spring. She enjoyed shopping for things to give people, she had a true knack for picking the right gift and I was happy to let her buy all the gifts for everyone, that left me with having to buy for her and that was difficult enough.
     Kay, like Linda, enjoys buying things for people, she enjoys the search, she enjoys the smiles on the faces of the recipients. She has a stash of gifts already bought and waiting for someone to need them, she has another stash of cards for every occasion and can whip one out on a moments notice to be signed and mailed. She constantly surprises people with her gifts.
     There was a time when I would be asked what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas  and I could instantly come up with an item or two that I either needed or wanted. I have reached the age where I have everything I need and want as far as material things are concerned, a simple smile or hug is more meaningful and enjoyable. With Kay I get the hugs and a gift that I didn't know I wanted.
     Last Christmas I was somewhat incapacitated and unable to go shopping which was OK because Kay had purchased all of the gifts leaving me needing to buy a gift for her. I had asked her what she might want and she told me she wanted a Dulcimer. To make a long story short I was able to get out one afternoon in mid December and purchase a gift card for her, the Dulcimer I found on the internet and had to involve her niece Pam in a little subterfuge - the Dulcimer she didn't get for about two weeks after Christmas. She was surprised.
     I didn't really tell Kay what I wanted for Christmas but she seemed to know what I would like and set out to round up a few things. Among the things she got me there was one gift that I have come to think more of than all the rest because Kay as it turns out is as much a romantic as I am, her gifts come from the heart and have meaning.
     My gift was a medallion that appeared to be old although it was new and made of two pieces which she had put together. One side of the medallion was a starred compass indicating North, South, East and West, the other side was a clock face with no hands. Kay explained the significance of each side - the compass means the world is ours to explore we could go where ever we wanted, the clock face with no hands meant we had all the time we needed to get there.
     Well we get out and explore our world every week, we enjoy going for a ride on Sunday afternoons, sometimes we head for specific places and quite often we just drive until we see something that grabs our attention and we stop. We try to stay on back roads and seldom return home till after dark. We have been to Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and a good portion of Georgia.
     We have plans to expand our borders and venture farther to places out west or up north or both, the destination doesn't matter because all the world is ours to explore and we have all the time we need to get there.


     I love you Kay