Coach Barbie Dallmann

Acrylic by Barbie Dallmann

I’ve been married a long, long, LONG time. This year will be our 37th Christmas since we met. Frankly, I ran out of good gift ideas several years ago. I’ll admit, Dannie’s not that hard to buy for. He’s happy with anything that displays the Nebraska Cornhuskers logo. So, what am I complaining about? I suppose I’m just bored. Cornhusker duct tape was the best I could do last year. Ugh! I just couldn’t go through it again. When you add in Dannie’s complaining about how hard I am to shop for, I suppose the time was ripe for change.

The idea began brewing about six weeks ago. It started as a whimsical fantasy. I turned it over in my imagination and giggled a little. When I began wondering if he would go for it, a smile started. Finally, as I seriously considered whether it could actually work, I broke out in a mischievous grin. I tentatively suggested that I might have a remedy for our annual gift-buying angst. He took the bait, and so here’s what’s up this year. Each of us is buying our own gift. Unoriginal, you say? What if I told you there were rules to this game? (Okay, if you know me well, that’s no surprise!)

Rule #1 – You must buy something you would NEVER buy for yourself.

Rule #2 – You must buy something that you dearly WISH the other person would be thoughtful enough to get for you.

Rule #3 – You must buy the gift with your own personal money.

Rule #4 – You must wrap the gift in a way you would appreciate and enjoy receiving.

Rule #5 – When we open the gifts on Christmas, the other person gets TOTAL credit for buying the gift. Each will express all the gratitude of his or her heart for the PERFECT gift … one you would never buy for yourself, one wrapped to perfection, and one you had always wished for. Gushing thanks is encouraged.

That’s it. Five simple rules to bring a little variety and challenge into our holiday this year.

So far, I’ve learned one very important thing. He has been right all along … I am REALLY hard to shop for!