So my wifes aunt and uncle came up from San Antonio to spend Saturday with us as sort of a late Birthday party thing for me. Don’t ask me how old I am now because I just don’t feel like getting depressed. He has bought a bass guitar and I am trying to offer a little help in getting him up to speed on it, so we spent much of the day drinking beer, restringing guitars, and making noise. That night after we got my daughter to bed, he went out to their truck and returned with a small box.
“I really hope this isn’t going to offend you!” they both started talking almost at the same time, and then got kind of quiet as I opened it. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but given their attitude and concern, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to have a clue what might be in that box. I opened it to find a cute little skirt and top hidden in there. It was a perfect casual outfit, very much what would be popular with women these days. They started talking over each other, talking about how they had chosen it, and how they had hoped I would get a good laugh out of it.
I wanted to laugh with them, but I just couldn’t. I was so very touched and grateful for everything that this little box represented. Only a month or so ago did I confide in them what I was, and here was proof positive that they were OK with it. Far more important than the outfit itself, the message that little box brought was huge and says so many things:
“It’s OK”
“We are reasonably comfortable with it”
“We are willing to laugh with you”
“We love you.”
How can you possibly say “Thank you” enough for a gift like that?