as time goes by...

Fifteen years ago, I had this really amazing boyfriend who wanted to take me birthday shopping to celebrate my 21st birthday.  While at the mall, I showed him a nice Fossil watch that I'd had my eye on for quite some time.  It featured a two-toned, silver and gold, metal link bracelet, with a small white face. Only the even numbers were represented, raised dots stood in for the others.  It was fairly small and simple in design. Feminine and lovely!  I remember secretly hoping he'd get it for me, but feeling a little guilty at the price tag.  Of course we came home that day with the watch, especially when considering he was still trying to woo me and talk me into getting married.

By the time I finally did accept his proposal, I'd been wearing that watch for almost three months. I wore it the day I got married, the day my first baby was born and the second and the third baby and almost every day in between.   I was sad when the mechanism wore out and I realized how scratched and dinged up the crystal front had become.   Thinking it would be cheaper to repair than replace it we went to SE Needhams Jewelers to check out our options.  With a repair bid at well over $120, I sadly realized it might be wiser to just buy a new watch.  While trying to decide what to do, Jotham and I halfheartedly browsed the display cases there at the store and lo and behold: Would you believe it?  There was a brand new, exact replica of my watch for sale for less than the cost of the repair!  Okay, it wasn't exactly the same, the new one was all silver whereas my first watch had been two-toned.  But definitely close enough, it looked and felt the same. It was random and felt like a blessing. I was thrilled.

So, now in essence, I've now worn that same watch for over 15 years. We are pretty attached. While all my friends have converted to iphones, and wall clocks have come and gone, my simple silver timepiece has graced my left wrist, constantly reminding me of how I'm always running just a few minutes behind. But then, about two weeks ago, I kept missing Hollie's kindergarten bus and couldn't figure out why.  I was always just a few minutes too late, even when I thought I'd left on time.  But then I came to the sad realization that this time I wasn't running slow, my watch was. Already knowing the repair cost exceeded the value of the watch, I started mourning the loss of a good friend, one that has kept time with me almost the whole of my adult life.

It been killing me, not knowing the time of day, I even looked at the ten dollar watch display at Walmart earlier in the week.  But I just couldn't commit to another watch, even a temporary one, no, not just yet. And then a few days ago, I was bemoaning this fact to my best friend (aka that same amazing boyfriend) after he came home from a hectic day at work.  And then guess what this amazing man did? He pulled out my watch, wished me a Happy Birthday and asked if I'd been missing it.  Bewildered, I wasn't sure how to answer, of course I'd been missing it, but since it was broken, I'd quit wearing it, so I hadn't noticed its absence.  It was then that I realized it was set with the correct time and was just ticking away as normal.  He had secretly taken it into be repaired. Practicality and price aside,  he knew I still loved that watch, he didn't even have to ask.  He's that kind of wonderful!  I guess I don't really change much, fifteen years later and I'm still thrilled to get the exact same watch again, for the third time!   Happy Birthday to me!