The Wedding Gift

The day of Bettie's memorial service, the family was gathered in a private reception room, off the foyer of Grace Community Church. A few days earlier, I had asked my sons Steve and Jim if they would be willing to present a brief story or memory of Mom during a time of sharing in the service. Now, in turn, I asked them each if they had something prepared. They each assured me that they were ready. I told everyone that I too, had a story but that I didn't know if I would be able to tell it.

Since we had arrived quite early, there was time for me to tell my story to the gathered family, as a sort of "trial run". My apprehension was allayed as I got into it. "Ah, good", I said to myself, "it looks like I can get through this without choking up." I even had a prop, sort of a show and tell.

I had asked Art Palecek, the Associate Pastor to lead the sharing time and gave him the names of a few people I had asked to be prepared, Steve and Jim among them. He was to conclude with me. I would tell my little story and then introduce my chorus for the closing songs.

However, by the time the microphone was in my hand, I realized that we were running a little long and I much preferred "leaving them wanting more", as they say, rather than less. I didn't tell the story...so here it is:

On our wedding day, beside my dashing fly-boy good looks :) , blue uniform with wings and gold stripes, I gave my bride a real gift: a gold charm bracelet. It has interlocking links with four pearls interspersed along its length. There were four heart-shaped charms adorning it on that happy occasion, each one with an inscription: "We met, May 16, 1958"; "First date, July 10, 1958"; "Engaged, October 22, 1958"; "Wedding Day, May 16, 1959". (I soon gathered that she rather liked it.)

Over the years, it spent most of its life in the jewelery drawer, but put in an occasional appearance at anniversaries and other special occasions. Of course charms were added for each of our children's birthdates, and later for grand-children. At 25 years, a silver heart appeared.

A few weeks before our 50th, I rummaged through the lesser items in the drawer, finally finding the bracelet in its own special box. I left the box, but removed the bracelet for its periodic trek to the jeweler for its (now we know) final charm: "May 16, 2009: Fifty Years of True Love".

With our anniversary party scheduled for Sunday the 17th, I made reservations for a view table at Palisade Restaurant on the water in Seattle for Saturday evening, the exact time we were married. I thought about just letting her wear the bracelet and then pointing out the new charm during dinner. This would of course assume that she would remember to wear the bracelet and that she would not notice the new charm on her own. Rather than risk it, I simply put the bracelet, box and all, in my pocket while she was doing her hair. She didn't seem to miss it, so I was home free.

At Palisade, I managed a hushed conspiracy with the maitre'd before being shown to our table. Soon our bright young waiter appeared with the customary flair.

At that point I exclaimed to Bettie "Oh Honey, look, we forgot your bracelet. Your charm bracelet."

She started to mumble something like "It wasn't there ... " but didn't get it out before I interrupted.

I turned to the waiter and said: "We forgot my wife's special occasion bracelet... I don't suppose you have something like, oh I don't know, a house bracelet or something?"

"Why yes sir. Actually we do." and with that he pulled her bracelet box from his apron and presented it to Bettie.

She was delighted, and pleasantly "surprised".

I thought we -- me and our waiter -- had really pulled off a great little show with a surprise ending.

I put 'surprised' in quotes, because I later asked her if it actually was a surprise. "Not exactly" she tactfully broke it to me.

"You may not remember, but a couple of weeks ago I forgot to put a spoon in your lunch." (On days I go into the office, I would leave before she was awake, so she fixed my lunch the evening before).

She continued: "So rather than go back down to the kitchen, and because you were already asleep, I just put a note in your pocket to remind you to put a spoon in your lunch."

I shook my head: "And that just happened to be the day that I had put your bracelet in that same pocket to take to the jeweler?"

"The very same," she grinned. "But it's OK, this was fun, and it will make a great story."

Indeed.