Have you ever noticed that if you are well-rested, totally prepared and have plenty of time allotted for an excursion…everything goes swimmingly? Have you observed that the negative of that statement is equally true? The day you perhaps didn’t sleep well, have a jammed schedule and run out of the house with what you hope is everything you need (but isn’t)– that’s the day disaster strikes?
A family member’s run in with a tire-flattening rim-bending pothole an hour from home last night… and the events that followed… got me thinking.
“If I’d brought all the tools to fix that thing with me,” mused Handsome Supportive Husband, “AAA would be here fixing it already.”
My idea was to hop in the car and drive toward our person, to be moral support and of course a warm car in which to wait for the help that was promised, if need be. Of course we fully expected that we’d get a call half way there that AAA had fixed the tire and they were happily on their way home. One might argue the point in venturing out in the first place then. To which I can only reply, I dig that stuff; I just do. I like to know someone I love is on the way, that someone is actively caring for and pulling with me.
Greg’s observation rang true though. Preparedness seems to ward off evil. Emergency road survival kit as amulet, as charm. Hmm. This has possibilities I thought.
Might that be a lovely way to mark Valentine’s Day? A sparkly charm on a chain is neat, but what about fashioning an actual charm -in the form of a winter road safety kit-to protect your loved one from peril?
You may be thinking, “Sure. An ice-scraper and an old blanket will be such a romantic gift.”
Hear me out! The practical is magical. While an ice-scraper with a bow on it may not go over, an intentional gift of love and protection certainly will. Giving your valentine’s car the once over to the best of your abilities is a marvelous place to start. Temperature appropriate windshield fluid? Gas tank full? Wipers functioning? Ice scraper? A bag of salt or grit? First aid kit? Hat, gloves, blanket? Is the spare inflated and is the jack in the car? Got a tire pressure guage? Search out a few lists and customize the one that best suits your person’s needs. Have fun with it. You are casting a spell after all.
Last Valentine’s Day I had picked out a fancy travel mug for Greg’s gift. His old travel mug had a worn out lid that would douse him with hot green tea at inopportune moments. Not that there’s ever an opportune time to have a lap full of hot beverage. Anyway, my mug selection was waiting in my virtual shopping basket when we happened to see a flower delivery commercial one morning over tea and coffee. The ad featured a puzzled, frazzled young fellow running into a convenience store in a panic and grabbing a water bottle as a Valentine for his love. The message was clear: don’t be this guy.
I slouched into my coffee mug and said, “Rats! I was totally going to give you a new travel mug for Valentine’s Day!”
Mind you, useful gifts are not unprecedented in our household. We are a deeply practical couple with simple tastes. My ‘big’ Christmas present to Handsome Husband this year was a repair on a 1949 Lincoln radiator and he was delighted.
“A new travel mug is a great present! I’ll love that!” he enthused.
See? Paying attention to your person and giving them a gift that solves a problem – a winning approach.
By the way, AAA never did show up or even call back last night and Greg did fix the tire. A funny thing about Greg is that he doesn’t actually need tools. He just prefers his own carefully curated set. In a pinch, much like MacGyver, he works with what is on hand and saves the day.
A Letter from Viv 