Anniversaries and special occasions can be hard to plan and prepare for. My friend Kris Wolfe is sharing with us something he did that had an awesome impact on his wife. Let us all remember that sometimes the little things are really the big things.
Kris writes:
Our third anniversary was coming up.
“This day has got to be monumental!” I thought.
I had big plans and high hopes. Where would we venture? Cabo? Cancun? Costa Rica? The possibilities seemed endless! That is until I began looking up prices. Flights were sky high.
“Ok,” I thought. “A flight might be out of the question. But, what if we stay local? How about an ocean view room close to us? We can fall asleep to the ocean waves crashing outside!”
Redondo Beach isn’t far from where we live. Maybe we could even venture to Laguna Beach?
But, as I began looking up prices, I was once again dismayed. Our anniversary was quickly approaching and I didn’t know what to do.
The problem is, almost every idea that develops on the left side of the brain is expensive. Even a traditional dinner and movie date night can cost some bucks. However, ask yourself,
“Are these the things that really win her heart?”
Not really. Of course, she’ll appreciate a Caribbean getaway. Of course, she’ll love dining at the ritziest restaurant in town. But, it’s the thoughtful things that matter most.
Don’t get me wrong, going back and remembering conversations, recalling her idyllic ideas, and zeroing in on little things she got excited about while perusing through a store…isn’t easy! However, these are the things that really brighten her day, bring a few tears of joy, and they aren’t necessarily costly.
I remembered Kristen recounting a story to me. One of her friends was gushing to her that a guy she was going on a date with had bought her a dress beforehand, and had her change into it before they went out to dinner.
I’d never bought a dress. Kristen doesn’t generally approve of the clothes I buy for myself! I didn’t even know where to start. I have a hard enough time finding something in the men’s section of a store, and the women’s section is generally 3 times the size.
So, I called on help from my female coworkers. We had just finished up a work meeting lunch at a mall, and I pleaded for their assistance. They took me to task. They knew where to go. One of them even pulled up an email from a store and showed me a dress Kristen might like. Perfect.
We got to the store and it didn’t quite look like the email picture. Dress after dress, but nothing resonated and spoke, “This is Kristen!” They were all great, and I could’ve seen her in any one of them, but it had to be special. Eventually, my coworkers gave up, and left me all alone.
Everything became a blur. I went into store after store. Nothing.
“What are you thinking? You don’t know how to buy a dress. Go home!”
And in that moment, I looked across the way and saw a store I knew Kristen loved. When I walked in the doors, it was like God pointed at this one dress and said, “Buy it now!” And just like that, all was well.
I made reservations at this restaurant Kristen loved while we were dating. Now, I just had to bring some personal touch to the night.
On the way home from the gym, I picked up a dozen roses, and then I got to work.
I had one hour before Kristen would get home. I started vacuuming and cleaning, lit some candles, wiped down the counter tops.
Noooooo! I forgot to get a card.
Then I remembered; tucked away in the back of the desk was a box of markers. Pulling out a blank piece of paper, I began designing my own card. I laid a piece of my heart on that sheet.
The clock was ticking and she would soon be home. I laid out the dress and put the homemade card on it, turned down the lights so only the candles brightened the room, and put on a song I had written for our wedding.
I put on a suit, a bow tie, stuffed a handkerchief in my jacket, and waited by the door. The door latch clicked. She walked in completely surprised to see me dressed up. I led her into the living room where everything was prepared. She cried tears of joy. Successful! With just a little prayer and preparation, I had created a night she’d never forget.