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Gracie Harper never thought her husband Victor would surprise her, especially after his death. After 28 years of marriage, he had never given his first wife a gift. Not on anniversaries, birthdays, or holidays. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her; they had a wonderful life together. For years, Gracie had been privately curious about the first gift her husband had given her.
When they first met one morning at the hotel where she worked as a manager, he was hauling furniture. Even though Victor was a loader and a blue-collar worker, Gracie liked something about his tenderness and composure. She never looked back after asking him out.
Two years after their marriage, Victor’s fortunes changed for the better. He was employed by Mr. Borris, the proprietor of a sizable furniture business, as his assistant. Since Mr. Borris had no heirs, he left the company to Victor when he passed away. Victor successfully expanded the business and made it a huge success by handling the obligations.
Victor never gave Gracie any gifts, even after his financial circumstances improved. He was providing for everyone else. Their children attended the best schools, he donated to charities, and he even bought books and gifts for youngsters in orphanages. But Gracie? She never received the first present from her husband.
She had attempted to understand. When they first got married, they didn’t have much money, but that didn’t bother her. But despite his growing wealth, he seemed to ignore her wishes. When she watched her friends showing off their diamonds and husband-given gifts, she would feel a little embarrassed that she had nothing of the sort to show off. She even concocted a story to tell them about how she and Victor had “banned gifts” to avoid displaying their love for material goods. On the inside, though, she couldn’t resist feeling hurt.
One day, Gracie decided to provide information on a diamond brooch she admired. Maybe Victor would get the hint, she thought. She had suggested it, but she had not yet anticipated that her husband’s first gift to her would come just after he had left.
After his passing, Gracie struggled to move on. Days passed while she remained at home, surrounded by memories of their life together. She missed him greatly and struggled with the emptiness he left behind. Every time she viewed their photos, she found herself talking to him, telling him how much she missed him and wished he was still with her.
Ten days later, on the morning of their wedding anniversary, Gracie sat in the living room, crying as she looked at Victor’s photo. Suddenly the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, no one was there. Then she looked down to saw a parcel saying “From Victor to Gracie” inscribed on top of it on her porch.
There, she found a note and an advent calendar with 28 numbered compartments, each signifying a year of their marriage. With apprehension, Gracie opened the letter and began reading:
“To Gracie,
Happy 28th anniversary, my love. I’m sorry I haven’t given you any gifts throughout the years. As you know, I had a difficult upbringing; after my mother passed away, my stepmother didn’t care about my father’s financial situation until he remarried. After dad died, she took all that was rightfully mine and threw me out.
When I was barely 17 and starting afresh, I made a commitment to never be used for financial benefit by anyone. When we first met, I knew you weren’t like that, but the scars from my past still plagued me. Even after I succeeded, I was afraid that if I started giving you things, our relationship may alter. Even though it was unfair to you and didn’t make sense, I didn’t know how to get over that fear.
When you made a remark about the diamond brooch, I realized I had messed up. I wanted to make it up to you even though I knew I didn’t have much time. With the help of a buddy, I made this calendar for you. I hope it brings you joy even though I can’t be there to see it.
With all of my love,
Your not-so-obstinate husband, Victor.
The first box, marked “28th,” was opened by Gracie with tears streaming down her cheeks. Inside, she found the diamond jewelry she had mentioned. In the next box she found tickets to Paris, the destination of their honeymoon all those years ago. A carefully chosen gift, such a diamond pendant, a scent she loved, or memories of their time together, was inside each box. Each gift was a symbol of his love for her, even though he had struggled to put it into words.
Every day, Gracie would open a new box, feeling Victor’s presence in each item he left behind. She realized that his love had always been there, despite the scars of his past. Victor had reminded her that love isn’t always about the things we give, but rather the intentions behind them, even though he is no longer with her.
What Can We Learn From This Story?
Sometimes, a person’s actions can be influenced by their past experiences, even if they don’t intend to hurt us. Victor’s early fear of losing love to consumerism affected how he treated Gracie.
A situation is often more complicated than it seems. Gracie thought Victor didn’t care because he never bought her anything, yet he loved her more than she knew.
If you enjoyed this one, you might enjoy this tale of a father who spends his days sitting about until his mute child decides to take matters into his own hands.
