Gifts

It's still a month to my birthday, but my husband is a bit of an impulse shopper, so I already have my present. I got a new composter.

No, this is not going to be a post about lame-brained husbands and their idiotic gifts. I was actually thrilled. I already have a composter, but there are many things that I don't like about it. It's ugly; it's too tall for the kids to really get the scraps into, it's rusty and falling apart; it's taller than my fence and my neighbor has to look at it. I've had it for a long time and I've wanted a new one almost since I got this one. I couldn't ever get a new one though because there was nothing really wrong with the one I had. I'm against replacing perfectly usable items, especially when there's nothing to be done with it except use it to increase the size of an already too large landfill.

Russ' gift wasn't really the composter, it was freedom from guilt. I don't have to feel bad about getting rid of the ugly composter and putting in the low profile new composter. I don't have to feel bad about spending money to get something that I don't really need. I don't even have to feel guilty about the fate of the old composter; Russ already told me that the old composter had to go and that I'm not allowed to try and turn it into planter or some other form of repurposing.

The reason that this perfectly practical gift is a joy and not a curse is because it has what all good gifts have, deep knowledge by the giver of the receiver. My husband knows me. He knows that I would not go out and buy a composter when the one we have is fine, even with a hole. He knows this because I won't go out and buy new laundry baskets even though the ones I have have broken handles. I can't get rid of them because where would they go?! My husband knows that what I really need for my birthday is a break from guilt and always trying to do the right thing. Knowing that he knows what's important to me and knowing that he knows what makes me tick, makes me feel as loved as any fancy, frilly, romantic gift.

The only tiny sadness to the gift was that I had planned to ask for a new storm door for the front door. Oh well, Mother's Day is not too long after my birthday.