Our Favorite Game

So it's not really a game...but it's one of our favorite activities that we play at. We call it "Gift of the Magi" which is not so cleverly named after the short story by O. Henry entitled "The Gift of the Magi." This short story is one of my favorites. I remember having it read to me as a child by librarians and my mom and it's poignancy has never left me.



(Spoiler Alert) In the story a young couple: Jim and Della, very much in love, are struggling at Christmas time to buy each other meaningful gifts with only dollars in their pockets. In the opening pages, Jim is still at work and Della is agonizing over this dilemma. She wants to give him something to match her love for him. There are only two possessions of any value that they together cherish: Jim's watch without a chain that belonged to his father and grandfather. The other is Della's hair, the most beautiful hair that kisses her knees and looks like a waterfall of silk down her back. And after musing on these two 'items' it becomes clear to Della what she can and must do: she leaves to sell her hair to buy Jim a watch chain. (This part of the story gnaws at my stomach). She comes home, proud of her purchase but now nervous, 'Can Jim still love her without her hair?' She waits anxiously for him to arrive. When Jim returns home Della rushes out to meet him, eager to see if his love for her will wane. Jim is taken aback but then tells her why: his present to her is a set of beautiful, exquisite combs for her hair, her previously long hair. But Della, not hesitating for a moment remembers that Jim has not even see his present yet. And she thrusts the box to him and he unwraps a chain, a chain for his watch, which he tells Della that he has just sold to purchase her gift, the hair combs. Ahhh, can you believe it? Doesn't this just tear at your heart and warm it in the same moment?

Well, like I started with, Ben I play 'Gift of the Magi.' Our play is not nearly so penetrating but it is always warming, just the same. Here are some examples of recent 'play:'

Some laundry desperately needed to be done before going out of town and I had to work and couldn't get it done: Ben would need to step in as resident laundress. Ben is fully capable of doing the laundry, no problem there. However, about 1/3 of my clothes I don't put in the dryer: delicates, jeans I don't want to shrink, sweaters, etc which makes it difficult for someone else to launder my clothes. The morning before I left for work I pulled out everything that didn't go in the dryer and put that pile in my closet. I left the hamper with all of the other clothing to be washed by the door. When I got home that night, Ben proudly showed me an assortment of clothes on the drying rack: a delicate looking shirt, a pair of jeans, some underwear...He had painstakingly gone through my clothing item by item at the laundry mat and pulled out anything he thought I might not put in the dryer. I just smiled and went to my closet and produced all of the true delicates: we just laughed.

Another story: we needed some sugar (last minute). We had meant to pick it up all week for some baking for someone's birthday. Thursday night, we both return home late from work. I walk in the door and Ben shows me the sugar, he has gone to the grocery store (his least favorite chore) and picked up the sugar and I have taken a despised detour from my one hour commute home to pick up the sugar. Now: two bags of sugar and laughter.

A final vignette: Company is coming over and the wood floor needs to be swept. I come home from work and Ben is not there. I sweep the whole (450 square foot) apartment so he won't have to when he gets in. He walks in on me cleaning and asks what I am doing because he has already swept the floor today: so I wouldn't have to :) These are some of my favorite moments in marriage.