Getting the Right Anniversary Gift for My Honey

Griz Bear Comments

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mrs. Griz and I observed another wedding anniversary last week. It seems like only yesterday that we plighted our troth but, on the other hand, it seems like we’ve always been together.

We didn’t get to do too much on our anniversary because of scheduled meetings and bad weather - cold and ice and snow - but I did take her out to eat in advance of our special day while we were waiting for her new eye glasses to be finished. An optometrist son of ours gave us both eye exams and wrote us prescriptions for new spectacles. Mrs. Griz got hers made on Saturday. I was a bit worried that her improved eyesight might cause her to be disappointed in her husband’s appearance, but she didn’t scream when she put them on.

Anyway, when our actual anniversary rolled around, I figured I had better not forget to get her something special to let her know how much I love her and how important she is to me. But that always raises a problem for me: What do I get her for our special day?

I learned some time ago that it’s not wise to buy her cooking utensils and other household gadgets that she uses to cook for me, clean or do laundry - at least not for our anniversary.

She likes romantic things - and not those which might be considered more for her husband’s enjoyment - but what could I get her that is romantic?

I thought of clothes, but even though I know her well, my choice in garments is not necessarily hers. I tend to be a practical man, and though she likes the farm store where I prefer to shop, it’s not usually the place she buys her clothes.

Perfume would have been an option, but I couldn’t remember the name of the one she wears. And since some of the other perfumes give her headaches, I chose not to risk giving her more headaches than I already have.

Chocolate candies are romantic, and I know she likes them, but I could see that choice going awry too since we’ve both resolved to lose weight in the new year. Candy might have worked if our anniversary were in March or April, but the gesture might have been viewed as an attempt to sabotage her dieting plans if I gave her candy in January.

When I ask Mrs. Griz what she wants, she almost always tells me diamonds, rubies and pearls. I admit they would have made a good gift, and I know she would have liked them. But there is a problem. She has good taste in jewelry and real diamonds, rubies and pearls are a bit over budget for a newspaper man - I’m not fond of red ink in my check register or on my bank statements.

She likes cards and, yes, I got her one and inscribed a message of my undying love for her inside. But cards are cards. Unless I added a little bit more to it, she might doubt the words I wrote inside.

I finally decided on flowers - and not just any flowers.Red roses awaited her when she got home from work. And yes, she liked them and was pleased with me. I did OK, even for a poor newspaper man.

When I saw how much she liked them, I said, “I should have gotten you a full dozen.”

The only suggestion she made in reply was that I could have gotten her a rose for each year of our marriage. Why didn’t I think of that one instead of just getting her a halfdozen? It would have made the flowers even more special.

Of course, traditions like that are hard to break, and I am hoping for many more years together. In fact, a rose per year could get expensive and I don’t have much of a retirement account. I might not be able to afford it in a few years. And if I forgot the number of years we’ve been husband and wife and got my rose count wrong, that could send a few shock waves through our marital bliss. Perhaps it’s better to stick to a fixed amount. It won’t break the budget and there’s less chance for human error on my part.

She didn’t seem to mind that I hadn’t gotten her enough roses to cover each year. She was still happy with the ones I gave her. But she did tell me, “There’s always Valentine’s Day!”

I replied, “Honey, but I was going to buy you that little pistol you wanted so you can go and shoot it with me.”

Her comeback was without hesitation, “As long as the grips have diamonds, rubies or pearls.”

I suppose I may just be visiting our local florist again come Valentine’s Day - even if I do have to buy more roses than I bought on our anniversary.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 01/13/2010