Anniversary Gifts

Really, who knew? Maybe everyone except me. I thought there was a material for 25th, 50th and 75th anniversary and that was it. I read about the first anniversary being the paper anniversary on another blog and laughed out loud. Paper anniversary, what a silly joke. Nope. It's a real thing.

Upon pondering the list, I wondered who got to pick these? The modern list sounds like a Target registry guide to me. Corporate America capitalizing on the institution of marriage again? Probably. It's funny because I don't know how many people in my generation are aware of this list. If they are it would be the girls (who generally get more caught up in the "supposed to"s of weddings and marriage) who would look it up and adhere to it. Which is funny because: a)Most guys I know are oblivious to the list b)Most guys don't care much for "supposed to"s even if they were privy to the list c)Most of all the guys are the ones who need suggestions.

In my relationship so far I have only required Mike to: a) Remember the anniversary and b) Acknowledge it in some form. I generally, don't require a gift. I much prefer a romantic gesture or a sweet note of some kind. Flowers go a long way too. When I do feel I'd like a present I've learned to be very direct. "I want a ___________ this year, honey." It's better for everyone involved if I give him a direction and let him handle specifics. He's pretty romantic when left to his own devices though.

I can imagine tackling the traditional list as a kind of challenge. There are so many things you can make and do with paper for example. A former boyfriend once made me a dozen roses out of cards in red and pink envelopes and green dowels in a glass vase. Each card had one of the top 10 reasons he loved me. It was very well done. The possibilities are endless...