Giving a Gift

Giving a Gift

“You want coffee, honey?” Josephine called up the stairs to her husband. Ordinarily, Howard was up much earlier, but it was Sunday. Howard’s day to sleep in. Sleeping in meant 6:30 am. When the tractor had it’s day of rest as well.

Josephine and Howard had quite a day planned. The kids had been packed off to the neighbours farm a couple of miles away. Tod and Janey had their own basket of food to take with them so they wouldn’t go to the Westerman’s emptyhanded. Howard and Josephine had their own cooler for a midmorning snack and then a picnic later in the afternoon. In between there would be hiking, swimming and just laying in the sun on the beach. Childhood for both of them had been growing up on hard scrabble farms. Picnics were few and very far between, often limited to the one big Community Picnic that was held each year at harvest time. While Howard was out in the field he thought long and hard about this special time coming up. They had never had a honeymoon. He had been planning a few changes to their little ‘day trip’. Josephine worked  all day keeping all the kid's schedules straight and running their busy farm household. They never kept secret’s from each other until now. What he hadn’t told Josephine, was that it would not just be a day trip, but a two night stay at the Chantilly Lace Bed ‘n’ Breakfast. They had often seen it advertised in the newspaper. Josephine had mused more than once about the remote idea of ever being able to be so luxurious.

Howard made a quick trip to talk with Ned and Nadine Westerman. Of course, Tod and and Janey could stay from Saturday night through Monday night. They’d be sure to get them to school Monday and Tuesday with their two kids. Tod and Janey also had to be taken into the plans. They had to pack their back packs for the overnight’s. When Josephine asked them why they needed back packs just for a day trip, they assured her that they needed their iPads and some books. ‘Oh alright. Just be sure you lay out your school clothes for the morning so I don’t have to worry about that on Monday morning.’ The kids moaned and groaned appropriately, but said they would, then turned away quickly so Josephine wouldn't see their grins.

Howard came down the stairs like a teenager. ‘Hmmmm. I would love a cup of coffee.’ He put his arms around his wife and nuzzled her neck.  

‘Come on, Howard, we have to have breakfast and get moving. We have a whole day ahead of us.’ 

‘OK, OK but I do promise you a very surprising treat today.’

Their old blue car had been packed the night before with an extra overnight bag that Josephine knew nothing about. Howard grinned all the way to Henway Provincial Park. Josephine sat next to her handsome husband all the way. They both felt the weight of work fall away into the dust of the road they were travelling.

“The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.”

~ Charles Dudley Warner