The sweetest thing

The sweetest thing happened to me today.

Let me start by reminding you that my husband is jobless at the moment. He's getting better, both mentally and physically as each day goes by, and keeps busy with things to do around the house.

My laundry is always done for me, the kitchen is tidy, he's trimmed many of the hedges outside, and picked up the numerous branches that fall from the trees and well, the list goes on.

At times, he goes onto to the internet to surf the web and he's been asking me what I want for my birthday, which is around Thanksgiving.

I don't want him spending our savings on things we don't need. And if he's approved for disability (he better be!) the first check won't come in until the end of May, which is insane. (I can see how people in this country go bankrupt when a medical situation arises in the family). But we're okay for now.

What I really want is a 300 mm camera lens, but I refuse to let him spend the money on something so frivilous. What I really I need, I told him, is a jewelry box.

I've become tired of storing my jewelry in the boxes that my pieces have come in. I have a hinged wooden box that I also use, and have made partitions in it to separate my things. But they get all tangled up and it's maddening, especially in the morning when I'm looking for a certain piece to wear or trying to find the mate to an earring.

When I walked in the door today, he told me, "Oh, I went on the internet and looked at jewelry boxes and I can't believe how expensive they are. So I made you a jewelry box for your birthday. It's upstairs where you keep all your stuff."

My first thought was that was a huge sentence for him and I was thrilled that he was talking so much!

My second thought, however, was what it was that awaited me upstairs, and as I climbed the steps, I was thinking how I was going to not hurt his feelings when I saw this gift.

I mean, how could he "make me" a jewelry box?

I entered the master bathroom, where there is a huge walk-in linen room. Imagine my complete surprise when I looked on the jewelry shelf and saw a real jewelry box! It has little pull-out drawers lined with gold paper and shiny little brass drawer pulls. It's very rustic, but I was completely touched at the thought of him working hard, all day long, on this gift just for me.

He told me he had found an old tool box-looking thing downstairs in the recesses of the basement. And my heart sank as I realized that this was one of the many tool boxes that the grandfather of the current owner of this house made. I figured on letting the owner know and I could use the box as long as we live here.

When I went to work the following day, I told the owner's wife what had happened. And I get to keep this jewelry box!

Now, looking at it, I know you're probably thinking that it's just a box made of plywood, but to me it has my husband's heart in it. He found something that was completely covered in dust and some mold and he sanded it and cleaned it and dried it. He then painted it in a dark stain that he found lying around. He polished the brass and then lined each tiny drawer with gold gift wrapping paper.

Can you imagine losing your job and having nothing to do all day long? It would drive me mad! This kept him busy and entertained for an entire day.

And I am truly blessed to have him.