Many years ago, in Mrs. Huff’s twelfth-grade honors English class, we read “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. I was touched by that beautiful story and have remembered it fondly ever since. But I have never seen a real-life rekindling of those emotions until recently.
A couple of months ago my daughter-in-law, DaLynne, turned 22. Last year, on her 21st birthday, she was pregnant, so the celebration was necessarily different than it might have otherwise been. So this year, my son, James, decided to make a big deal of his lovely wife’s special day.
He got together with a couple that they had, up to that point in time, considered their best friends. In the spirit of changing the names to protect the not-so-innocent, we’ll call this couple Roger and Debbie. Anyway, the three of them planned a big surprise party that was to happen at Roger and Debbie’s house. A cake was ordered, decorations were bought, and the guests were invited. A plot was hatched – a cover story, if you will – to lure DaLynne over to Roger and Debbie’s house. In actuality, it wasn’t that difficult, since the couples frequently spent time hanging out at one another’s homes.
The theme of the party was the beach. DaLynne loves the beach, so the cake had a palm tree and some shells on it, and all the decorations were beach-oriented. The day before the party, James made up some excuse and sneaked over to Roger and Debbie’s to help decorate. According to him, the decorations were incredible, although for reasons to be related momentarily, none of the rest of us ever got to see them. The money for the cake was handed over, and Debbie picked it up to keep in their fridge until the big moment.
Now here’s where the story gets a bit murky. The night before the big party, some kind of an incident occurred – fueled, I believe, by too many margaritas – that caused a rift between the two couples. This was not pleasant, but in the interest of giving his wife the birthday she deserved, James was willing to look past it and proceed with events as planned. Debbie, however, apparently decided otherwise.
When James stopped by the couple’s house the morning of the party (which had been scheduled for 2:00 p.m.), Roger informed him that they would not be able to host after all, and he was essentially given the bum’s rush and ushered out the door, looking back over his shoulder wistfully at all the beautiful decorations that had been intended to highlight this amazing day for his beautiful bride.
Bereft and not quite knowing what to do, James felt he had no choice but to spill the beans to DaLynne. She was upset that the surprise had been ruined, and none too happy with their friends; but most of all she was heartbroken to see how hurt her husband was over the failure of this beautiful gift he’d wanted to give her. Little could he have known that the gift of love that came from his heart was quite intact for DaLynne, and she couldn’t have been more touched.
So with an alternate plan to hold the party at DaLynne and James’ house, guests were hurriedly notified of the change in location, and James set out to go pick up the cake at Roger and Debbie’s house (hoping they would be cooperative at least about that), and to buy some food and drinks for the guests who were due in less than two hours.
No sooner was my son out the door than his wife got on the phone and got to work. She dispatched her mom to do some very quick shopping for beach-themed decorations, and called another friend or two and myself to come help decorate before James returned.
Not having seen the other home, I can’t say how it compared; but by the time James returned to his own home, suffice it to say it definitely had a beachy flavor, with streamers and crepe paper palm trees and beach-ball straws abounding. It was a reverse surprise for he who had tried to give the surprise!
DaLynne’s heart had been so moved by what her husband had tried to do for her, and so broken by his pain at having his plans foiled, that she did her very best to turn it around and give the joy back to him in what I considered a very ingenious and touching turnabout. The look on James’ face when he walked through the door was somewhat hard to read. He is a man of deep emotion, but not one given to public displays, and he absolutely detests being the center of attention; but I think the gesture of his loving wife found its mark in his heart. I know it certainly did in mine.
A couple of months ago my daughter-in-law, DaLynne, turned 22. Last year, on her 21st birthday, she was pregnant, so the celebration was necessarily different than it might have otherwise been. So this year, my son, James, decided to make a big deal of his lovely wife’s special day.
He got together with a couple that they had, up to that point in time, considered their best friends. In the spirit of changing the names to protect the not-so-innocent, we’ll call this couple Roger and Debbie. Anyway, the three of them planned a big surprise party that was to happen at Roger and Debbie’s house. A cake was ordered, decorations were bought, and the guests were invited. A plot was hatched – a cover story, if you will – to lure DaLynne over to Roger and Debbie’s house. In actuality, it wasn’t that difficult, since the couples frequently spent time hanging out at one another’s homes.
The theme of the party was the beach. DaLynne loves the beach, so the cake had a palm tree and some shells on it, and all the decorations were beach-oriented. The day before the party, James made up some excuse and sneaked over to Roger and Debbie’s to help decorate. According to him, the decorations were incredible, although for reasons to be related momentarily, none of the rest of us ever got to see them. The money for the cake was handed over, and Debbie picked it up to keep in their fridge until the big moment.
Now here’s where the story gets a bit murky. The night before the big party, some kind of an incident occurred – fueled, I believe, by too many margaritas – that caused a rift between the two couples. This was not pleasant, but in the interest of giving his wife the birthday she deserved, James was willing to look past it and proceed with events as planned. Debbie, however, apparently decided otherwise.
When James stopped by the couple’s house the morning of the party (which had been scheduled for 2:00 p.m.), Roger informed him that they would not be able to host after all, and he was essentially given the bum’s rush and ushered out the door, looking back over his shoulder wistfully at all the beautiful decorations that had been intended to highlight this amazing day for his beautiful bride.
Bereft and not quite knowing what to do, James felt he had no choice but to spill the beans to DaLynne. She was upset that the surprise had been ruined, and none too happy with their friends; but most of all she was heartbroken to see how hurt her husband was over the failure of this beautiful gift he’d wanted to give her. Little could he have known that the gift of love that came from his heart was quite intact for DaLynne, and she couldn’t have been more touched.
So with an alternate plan to hold the party at DaLynne and James’ house, guests were hurriedly notified of the change in location, and James set out to go pick up the cake at Roger and Debbie’s house (hoping they would be cooperative at least about that), and to buy some food and drinks for the guests who were due in less than two hours.
No sooner was my son out the door than his wife got on the phone and got to work. She dispatched her mom to do some very quick shopping for beach-themed decorations, and called another friend or two and myself to come help decorate before James returned.
Not having seen the other home, I can’t say how it compared; but by the time James returned to his own home, suffice it to say it definitely had a beachy flavor, with streamers and crepe paper palm trees and beach-ball straws abounding. It was a reverse surprise for he who had tried to give the surprise!
DaLynne’s heart had been so moved by what her husband had tried to do for her, and so broken by his pain at having his plans foiled, that she did her very best to turn it around and give the joy back to him in what I considered a very ingenious and touching turnabout. The look on James’ face when he walked through the door was somewhat hard to read. He is a man of deep emotion, but not one given to public displays, and he absolutely detests being the center of attention; but I think the gesture of his loving wife found its mark in his heart. I know it certainly did in mine.
