The Robe

About 2 years ago, I searched for the perfect birthday gift for my wife. She was not being very easy to shop for and all she had asked for was a simple cooking apron. I scoured the city and found an apron that promised to be highly durable and attractive. But that wasn't what I wanted to give her, so I looked for a second gift to buy her as well...

I found a robe on sale (i.e. it was in my student budget). My wife is very small so her size was an importnant aspect of the purchase. It was the perfect size for her. The robe is cobalt blue and very, very soft. Did I say soft? I meant VERY soft. When I was a kid, everyone in our family had a robe similar to this one so that we could sit around warm and comfy while drinking something warm and reading the paper (comics for me). The robe jumped out at me and screamed, "Buy me!". I thought it would be the perfect thoughtful gift. Something she could wear whenever she wanted to lounge around the house.

Apparently I was wrong. Her response to the robe was lukewarm at best. She never wore it. It was a nice thought, but it "made her look frumpy". I never imagined that would be her response. I felt like such an idiot husband. :(

But now it's November in Jerusalem. The winter is just starting. Our apartment is not cold by local standards, but the floors are stone and the building is mostly stone too...so it is not cozy in the home.

What do you know! That robe- which she dragged along from the US more out of wifely obligation than of expectation of using it- is finally getting used! She just now admitted to me how she didn't like it before, but also expressed appreciation for it now. It is helping her stay warm. I know she doesn't like how it looks, but it warms my heart to see her getting enjoyment out of it now.