The Romantic.com

Our first date took place Dec. 21st–immediately before my soon-to-be boyfriend left town to see his family for the holidays. At the end of our evening together, he pulled up in front of my house and presented me with an envelope. He told me not to read it until he had driven away. Inside was a Christmas card. In the card, he thanked me for a wonderful evening and told me he hoped to have the chance to go out again when he returned from his vacation. He also included a picture of himself so I wouldn’t “forget him” while he was away.

He had written the card before the date, in case it went as well as he had hoped. If it hadn’t, he would never have given me the card and I would have been none the wiser. As it turned out, I thought it was very sweet and his forethought spoke volumes to me about his thoughtful character. I thought the picture was a little over-the-top at first, but after three years of dating and almost nine years of marriage, it has become one of my favorite keepsakes. I still carry it in my wallet–as a reminder of the night it all began and the importance of taking time to do the little things.