The Boxers

Valentine's Day happens to be my husband's birthday.  Some might think this combo celebration could be extra challenging when it comes to presenting David with a creative, exciting gift or two.

Not to brag, but rising to the occasion has become easier than I could have ever imagined.   

For the past 10 years, my gift to David has been and will continue to be a handful of men's boxers.  I know I'm going to do it, he knows I'm going to do it, and there's no mystery involved.  Better yet, our expectations match.  We are in sync with this plan.    

To make matters even more simple, I even know where I'm going to get them. I'm going to walk into The Gap sometime after the New Year and load up with Valentine-themed boxers - hearts - and other designs that he would never wear publicly.  These could include bold patterns or hot pink or pictures of goofy things which are nowhere to be found in his wardrobe for others to see.

I know some folks may think this is b-o-r-i-n-g and wonder why I don't try harder to please my man.  After all,  this is a second marriage, with one unsuccessful one already on my resume, and I have no little ones running around to deter me.  It would be a thought I might have if I had me for a friend.

The reality is, however, that when I first gave boxers to David many moons ago, he declared this gift to be a winner, stating he wants a new supply every year so that he doesn't have to go out and buy them for himself.  He has never said, "How about a new album this year for a change?" or "Instead of this year's boxers, could you look into a rare tube for my collection?" He knows better.

I am fairly certain that if I tried to pick out a "special" gift for him with the expectation that he'd ooh and aah, there's a 50% chance that I'd end up disappointed by his reaction.  Then, he'd feel badly that I felt badly, and I'd feel badly that he felt badly that I felt badly.  What a way to ruin a birthday.

The fact that we've taken the surprise out of the gift-giving portion of this celebration is, frankly, a huge relief - for both of us. We have learned over time that the expectations created through communication with one another are far more realistic than those created by trying to read each other's minds, hoping for the best. 

For the record, I do try to add some intrigue to the gift box by purchasing other things to accompany the boxers.  This year, I used a box that could hold about 100  DVDs and made a Gap Lasagna, layering the boxers with other GAP items.  He liked the sweater, was concerned that one shirt might be clingy and didn't  appear impressed with the other stuff. 

The boxers were a hit, as always.