The Bonus

My girlfriend took me out to dinner the night before my birthday.  Every year, I know she is going to give me a book and something else.  The annual book giving has become a tradition because she wants to make it as easy as possible for me to read the books she’s enjoyed so we can talk about them.  She also picks up something else, often from a trip she’s taken.  This time she had just been to San Francisco to visit with her son, so I was excited to think that she may have brought a piece of that fun city home for me.        

This year’s celebration was at the Library in Voorhees and, if you’ve been there, you know how dark it is inside. There appears to be no overhead lighting, just a candle on each table.  Each time I go, it seems harder to adjust to the darkness, but then I tell myself maybe it’s better that way.  Do we really want to see the carpet, or our table, or even everything on our plates?  I know the answer should be yes, but…

She placed my gift bag on the table before we sat down and told me how excited she is about this year’s find.  Not only could I see her huge smile – never too dark for that – but I could also hear her enthusiasm, adding to the suspense.  I just couldn’t wait the cursory half hour, so I grabbed it (why wait, after all?)   First I opened the card…very sweet…then the book…The Kitchen House…can’t wait to delve into that…and there at the bottom of the bag was a small box.    

I toyed around with the idea of putting on my glasses before trying to open it, but I’d have to fish around my purse for them first, and that was way too time consuming when she’s chomping at the bit.  So I put my naked eyes to the test and was thrilled.  I could see an elegant pendant, outlined in circles of silver with a colorful stone in the middle, but I couldn’t see the details since I didn’t have my glasses on and the room was so dark.  As I picked up the box to move it toward the candle, she reached for it too, which was a confusing gesture to me.  To avoid a tug-of-war, I relinquished the box to her, although I wasn’t sure why she was interested in holding on to it too. I was nervous for a minute that maybe I misunderstood – maybe it wasn’t what I thought it was, or for me, or something else was going on that I hadn’t figured out yet.  

“Look at this!  This is great!  You’re going to love it!” she said as she was moving her fingers around the chain of the necklace.  Meanwhile I had already looked at it and it was great and I was loving it as is so I wasn’t sure what she was suggesting. “Let me show you my favorite part,” she said with great satisfaction.  And then it was clear.  Although the necklace was lovely, what left a bigger impression on her was…

The CLASP!  “Look at this!” she exclaimed, showcasing it with her shiny red fingernails.  “It’s so nice and big. I can even open it myself, so you will be able to also!”    

Wow. She not only bought a beautiful necklace for me, but she gave me a very special gift that I cherish, especially as a middle-aged woman – a sense of freedom.  I now have a necklace – may even be my first, other than for the ones I can throw over my head! – that I can open and close on my own, that I can wear anytime I want (not just when my husband is home so he can open and close the clasp) and, in summary, that will allow me to keep my independence, spontaneity and sense of style too.  I’m all for these innovations – most likely by another middle-aged frustrated person – to reverse the aging process. 

The necklace itself is a stunning bonus!