April and I liked to make "gift certificates" for each other. They could be for something small like a favorite dinner at home or a movie, or as big as a trip across the world. Many of these things we already planned to do anyway, but "giving" them to each other made them feel more special, as they became gifts of love.
Last Christmas she made me an exceptionally large number of certificates, the most ever, all in holiday shapes. They formed an inventory of our hopes and dreams as we looked toward our future together. I felt especially moved by the coupon to renew our wedding vows in Maui in 2011. She had drawn check boxes and of course I checked "Yes." She was so excited about that trip. Then we had the trip to New York to see the Thanksgiving Day parade in person. A camping trip in Colorado. A trans-Canadian train excursion. A tour of Italy. A nearby camping trip. The tickets for so many big dreams show April's optimistic outlook and her determination to acheive great things. Besides those, I have stacks of tickets for dinners, backrubs, breakfast in bed, and so on. It breaks my heart knowing I'll never get to redeem them. But now they are a cherished memento of her love for me.
