Our big purchases this week have got me thinking-We’ve come A LONG ways, folks.
I remember purchasing our first laptop just after we married. I had to take out a loan to get it, and spent a year paying for it. But I couldn’t have finished my B.A., M.A., or started this little blog without it.
The first thing my husband and I bought together was a simple white fleece blanket. And to tell you that story I’ll have to fill you in on our beginning.
He was a manager of a local retailer, happily spending his bachelor days with his dad and brother. His biggest worry was when he’d get to the gym and what they’d order for dinner. I was a complicated, baggage toting, recently single MESS. Sounds perfect, right?
We hit it off right away. If it wasn’t love at first sight, it was certainly infatuation at first sight. We spent every waking hour together for months, until we got the news that he was being transferred. I had no intention to go with him, but my dad persuaded me otherwise. I know he saw something special in him, and knew how crushed I’d be without him.
So, off we went. We headed west without a care OR a dollar to our name. We knew we’d make it work. Somehow.
The plan: He’d climb the retail management ladder and I’d go to college. At least we had a plan, right?
(Hang tight, this is where the blanket comes in) We moved into a teeny tiny apartment that was literally built into a hill. Our view? Dirt.
But it was ours, and we were so hopelessly in love that we didn’t care. My dad never fails to mention our less than stocked pantry when he’d visit. I don’t remember that. At all. I do remember him always leaving TONS of snacks when he left. Hmm?
About two weeks after we moved in my husband’s brother called and said he’d like to visit. We were SO excited to show off our new place that we completely failed to remember how unprepared we were to entertain guests. About an hour after my husband got paid, and about 30 minutes before our first guest was to arrive we headed to Wal-Mart praying we’d find a suitable blanket for less than $15.
It was our first purchase together. $15 was a stretch for us back then. But we made it work. His brother happily slept on an old mattress, a single flat sheet and that white blanket.
We’ve come a long way. We now have 20+ blankets (ah, that makes sense) and a few extra dollars in the bank in case we need another. But I still hold on to that white blanket. It has moved 6 times with us, gone through hundreds of washes and today hides the toddler/pet stains on my sofa.
And us? Yeah, he climbed that ladder, and then some. And I went to college, and then some. We got married, had a tot…
We’ve stumbled, cried a little, loved A LOT, and remain as strong as our first “big purchase”. That’s relative, right?
It’s a good blanket for a great family.
-Jane
