Jan’s Silk Scarf
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes, 53 seconds
The Silk Scarf, Like Life,
Is Priceless
“I love this scarf,” Jan exclaimed with a smile more beautiful than every rainbow I had ever seen. “But it is so expensive.” I tried to explain that it was not that expensive once you converted Canadian to American dollars. “But I have nothing for you for our anniversary,” she protested.
“All I need is your love,” I explained without success. “I do not need a gift.”
We thanked the boutique shop owner in Toronto’s distillery district and continued walking on the cobble-stoned street to look at other stores. Jan found a shoe store and said she wanted to go inside to see if she could find any boots she might like.
Usually, I would go with her, despite my lack of interest in shopping for shoes. But this time, I decided not to.
“My love, I think I might just stay outside in the fresh air if that is OK?”
As soon as she entered the store, I walked to the left a few yards and then crossed the street to the store we had been in previously.
“I was just here with my wife a few minutes ago.”
“Yes, I remember you.”
“The scarf the beautiful lady was looking at?”
Yes, I answered as I pulled out my Amex card and handed it to her.
In only a few moments, I had the scarf in the bag I had been carrying.
I quickly retraced my steps and found myself in front of the shoe store just as Jan exited.
“Nice boots, but I did not like any of them enough to buy them.”
Anniversary Dinner
“Maybe we did dine here once before,” Jan conceded without fully accepting that her original opinion that we had never been in this restaurant was incorrect. “But I am sure it was not for an anniversary dinner.” We had dined here for our thirty-ninth wedding anniversary, but I was not interested in correcting her.
“I am just happy to be celebrating our anniversary.”
The waiter came to the table and asked about drinks.
“Do you a dry white wine.”
“Yes.”
“How dry.”
“I will bring you two samples.”
“And for you, sir?”
“Water is fine.”
The waiter returned with the drinks, and we ordered dinner.
“My sweetheart, a toast to forty-four wonderful years together! May we celebrate a hundred more!”
“I am not sure I will live that long.”
“However, many years we have, I love you more than the day I met you, and I cherish every moment we have together.”
After almost 48 years, I recently lost my wife, Jan Lilien. Like The Little Prince, Jan and I believed that “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” This blog is a collection of my random thoughts on love, grief, life, and all things considered.
