I did not get socks or rings for Christmas, but I was remembering past Christmases when I did get these things. I don’t share often about my relationship with my husband, but I wanted to share some past Christmas gifts that he has given me that were significant. Our very first Christmas together, we had just started dating about two months before. We saw one another before Christmas break, we were still in college at the time, and exchanged gifts to open at Christmas with our families. On Christmas morning, I was opening gifts with my mom and cousin, Travis. I opened Glenn’s gift and it was a pair of socks with Tigger on them, I was really into Tigger at the time. It may have seemed like a strange gift to some, but to me it was significant. And my cousin had a great time making fun of me about it. Thanks, Trav. I had spent a long time trying to figure out what to give Glenn for Christmas. We had only been dating a short time and I didn’t want to get anything that was too serious, but I wanted something that he would like. So, I decided on Christmas socks and a tape, yes, we are that old, of his favorite band. When I opened my gift and realized he had gotten me socks too, I knew we were meant to be together. I know that sounds silly and cliché, but it is true. Out of all the things we could have gotten one another we both got socks.

The next Christmas, we had been dating a little over a year. We were driving back from visiting my mom for the day. She lived about an hour or so away from where we were in college. We were talking about the future and our plans. We hadn’t really discussed our future together or if there would be one. I was driving at the time. Glenn reached over and pointed to my left hand and said, “I am going to put a ring on that finger one day.” I almost wrecked the car! I was surprised to say the least. Those of you who know Glenn well, know that he can be noncommittal about things. But, when he does finally commit to something he is there for the long haul. Up until that point, he had been very noncommittal about our relationship. We had broken up twice and it was an up and down thing. So, I was surprised when he said something so committed. It is was three months later that he officially proposed and we got married that July. And, yes, we were babies when we got married. I was 21 and he was 20, by 11 days.

But those are two Christmases I remember fondly. Neither gift was very expensive, that is the way we roll, but they meant a ton to me. As we celebrated our 12th Christmas together, I remembered these times we have had together and smiled. I am blessed to have such a good man. And as another good man in my life would often say, “I am thankful for the things I have, and for the things I don’t have. “