J recently celebrated his 32nd birthday, and at certain milestones like this one, I always think back to how we met and how much things have changed.
We met when we were 18, and although we quickly became a couple, we were never the romantic type. I was trying to remember if we had ever gotten each other any classically romantic birthday (or any other holiday) gifts. When J turned 19, I bought him a nice pocket watch – he used to wear those a lot back then. He hasn’t worn them in years, and I’m not even sure what happened to it. One year, I think for Christmas, he got me a silver ID bracelet, which I still have.
I began thinking about this when I asked J what he wanted for his birthday – he said a tool chest! This might be a perfectly normal gift for men who are handy, but J is not handy at all. Actually, he’s improved ever since we’ve become homeowners, but still not “tool chest” caliber.
The fact is, he didn’t really want a tool chest, it was more of a practical request. Well, he got his tool chest, but this just might mean that we’ve become old and boring. Maybe I should ask for a blender when it’s my birthday. Come to think of it, what we really need is a new vacuum …
