25 years ago when I bought my first home, the seller brought a gift to the closing. He presented us with a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, and a container of salt, inspired by a scene in the classic movie 'It's a Wonderful Life.' Now, there's no way that he knew that this was my favorite movie and that I was well acquainted with that scene, but it is a touching gift that I remember to this day because it had special meaning for me. It is also something I have given as a housewarming gift when friends move into a new home, along with the blessing from the movie: "Bread, that this house may never know hunger; Salt, that life may always have flavor; and wine, that joy and prosperity may reign forever."
Now that I am in the process of selling my current house, I have thought about the best gift that I can give the new owner of my home. I know it's not a common thing (to present a gift to the buyer), but I consider myself an uncommon person. The seller who sold it to me didn't give a gift, but they did leave a note welcoming my family which was appreciated. I could go the Wonderful Life route again but I fear it might not be as memorable to someone who hasn't watched the movie thousands of times and has most of the dialogue committed to memory. My friends come to expect this of me; strangers maybe not so much. Clearly, a different memorable gift should be considered.
While we were packing to prepare the house for sale, I considered gift options and I was drawn to the story of the butter dish I received as a wedding gift. I have a crystal butter dish that I use daily, and it has a heartwarming story that I tell quite often. As the story goes, my Aunt wrote in her gift card that I would soon forget who gave me a place setting of china, or a couple of wine glasses, but that although I didn't ask for it in my registry I would use this gift daily and always remember that it came from my Aunt. For what it's worth, every time I use the butter dish, I do remember my Aunt. This is where it gets interesting.
One of the boxes I was going through to purge before packing included all of my wedding papers from planning to post-wedding thank yous. I had everything in there, extra invitations, every response card, every gift card, every gift receipt, even the seating arrangements and guest list. I have no idea why I saved all of this stuff but it was time to cull the stack. As a memento, I kept one invitation, a copy of the map I drew to the reception hall that was long ago torn down to build a CVS pharmacy, and the congratulations card from my parents with a handwritten note from my mother wishing me a long and happy marriage. I read through all of the gift cards one more time, just in case one of them had something memorable I might want to save and that's when I found the card from my Aunt.
I was elated to find this card, finally some tangible proof that I wasn't just making up the story of the butter dish. I confirmed the part about not recalling who gave me china or crystal - which to her credit has borne true - and then she went on to say that every time I use the sugar and creamer set that I would remember her. What?! I don't have a sugar and creamer set or at least not anymore. I rarely drink coffee at home and I don't even own a coffee maker. Plot twist! For over 25 years, I have been remembering my Aunt and daily giving her quiet thanks for this butter dish that she didn't even give me, and I have no idea who did.
Oddly, I am now more determined than ever to present a butter dish as a gift to the new owners. Hopefully, it will be as memorable to them as mine was to me.
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