BOGO

Does fall, or spring for that matter, do to you what it does to me?

For the last two weeks there has been a brisk chill in the air in the morning. It makes me feel alive, as if something exciting has the potential to happen every day. I don’t know what it is, but the drastic changes in season always jump start me for the first few weeks. I love it.

I haven’t felt like writing, due much in part to the sick ones and the lack of sleep, but even Gideon waking at 3:45 last night and staying that way until 5:30 didn’t have the power to diminish the thrill of waking. I liken it to rousing oneself on Christmas morning to the sights and smells of warmth and family, or, for those of you married, the anticipation when you go to sleep (or attempt to) the night before your wedding. There’s just something in the change in weather that solidifies God’s existence for me…especially after a hot and very pregnant summer in Texas…when that first breath of cool air returns after a very long and cruel absence. Though I don’t think my family and friends back in Texas have yet to experience that first cool breeze yet this year. Sending you each imaginary waves of invigorating fresh air…

I actually have several stories I was planning to share, but for the sake of your potentially tired eyes, I will only rehash the BOGO story.

The commercials for Payless Shoes drive me crazy. They have taken the “buy one get one free” concept and shortened it to BOGO. I cannot but think of a pogo stick every time I see one of their commercials and it’s not even a connection that makes sense except in a rhyming dictionary.

Two or three days ago, Jeff was insensitive, or maybe, just maybe, I was being overly sensitive (I am pregnant, remember) all day. Whatever he said to me hit a blubber-till-I-couldn’t-blubber-anymore button. I informed him, rather selfishly and dramatically, that I had neither the ability nor the power to show him any love for the remainder of the evening. Granted, it was already past my bedtime when the atrocity occurred, so I really should have just ignored him, rolled over, and went to sleep. However, on this particular night, even after he apologized, I just couldn’t let it go, and had to find solace in Scripture. This only proved to make me feel guilty for holding onto my hurt and angst, so I went downstairs and turned on the TBS movie until I got sleepy and forgetful.

For me, when the morning comes, I barely even remember unpleasantness, but Jeff, the self-proclaimed “elephant who never forgets” remembers everything.

I was sitting on the sofa in the afternoon before he got home thinking of the old love song my dad used to sing with a line that says “you don’t buy me flowers, you don’t sing me love songs…anymore.” I guess I hadn’t totally forgotten the overblown slight as much as I thought I had.

Well, true to sweet form, Jeff came home with a bouquet of daisies for me. I thought it was a little strange that they were blue and white since I had never expressed an interest in those particular colors before. I then examined the cellophane wrapping (which was blue) and saw that there was a huge imprint of the Star of David. I didn’t say anything, but I was somewhat perplexed. Perhaps the colors of blue and white meant “I’m sorry” and Jeff picked out his own cellophane.

Jeff saw me looking and then piped up.

“They were having a buy one, get one free sale at Publix, so I picked up two bouquets because I thought I was getting more for my money and I had never brought you home this color set before. However, when I got to the checkout line, these actually weren’t the BOGO free. I just decided to keep one anyway. But, I’m not sure why there is a Star of David on it. There was another one inside the bouquet that I already pulled out.”

I processed that monologue for only a moment.

“Well, honey. I heard on the news that tomorrow is a Jewish holiday… Rosh Hashanah.”

I started to cut the cellophane, pulled out a glass vase, and then began to laugh as the absurdity hit me. Not only did this man bring me home a strange collaboration of painted blue and white flowers, they actually were assembled to commemorate the Jewish New Year (as we later discovered and have never celebrated), and, in addition, he was also trying to get himself a BOGO!! When I repeated his actions to him, we both laughed and laughed until all was forgiven and forgotten.

Every time I pass by the dining room table and see those flowers, though, I chuckle.