A True Labor Of Love

A few weeks ago, I talked about how the best gift is thoughtfulness. Funds have been tight, so we decided to skip gifts for our anniversary, birthdays, and Christmas, all of which arrive in quick succession. For my birthday, I received a mug I had seen sold-out a year before. A mug which I had completely forgotten about.

Over the weekend, I was greeted by yet another wonderfully thoughtful surprise. We’re staying with my in-laws and need to keep a low profile, so we’ve been watching Korean dramas before bed. The most recent was Crash Landing On You. The show was great, and music was absolutely beautiful. During the final episode, I made the offhand comment that maybe someday he could learn to play the main song on the piano.

Well, I suppose you can imagine what his surprise was. Within the first note, I recognized the song. Feel free to give it a listen.

Supposedly, it’s far more challenging than is sounds, with strange chords and lots of jumping around. It was a true labor of love. And, oh boy, do I feel it! So, so very loved.

There is a saying: How you do one thing is how you do everything.

I can’t help peeking behind the curtain, beyond the beautiful performance. I can’t help thinking about how so many elements went into this seemingly small gift.

He listened to know that I liked the song, he learned a series of tricky new chords and progressions, and he planned his secret practice sessions for when I was sleeping. He persisted through frustrations, including being quarantined away from piano for two weeks when the rest of the house was sick. He spent over sixty hours crafting the intangible.

It’s not a gift I can wear on my wrist or sling over my shoulder. It’s not a gift I can place out on display or drive around the neighborhood. Rather, it’s a gift I can carry with me in my heart. It’s those gifts that are the most cherished–those that can’t be stolen, sold, or soiled. It’s these thoughtful gestures that truly mean the most.