Growing up many of us try to emulate our fathers – both sons and daughters. For me, that was especially true. I wore alligator shirts, didn’t wear socks from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and as for my shoes, well, I was prone to boat shoes. Pick a color.
So when my mother told me on the phone last Saturday that my father had his eye on a pair of blue Topsiders, the online bargain shopper (and pleaser) that I am, I went online to zappos.com to find them for less. But as my fingers darted across the keyboard,
choosing size and color, I had an “aha” moment. Sure they were less money and it saved time (all positive aspects for an organizer), but for all the efficiency, something was lacking.
While presents are great, what makes them even better is when there’s a touch of creativity involved, i.e. a book with hidden Post It notes inside or a jewelry box containing a house key. I once gave a basketball as a shower present, knowing the bride and groom loved to play together. While the looks of the other women sent shock waves, (you can’t really “ooh” and “ahh” at a basketball like, say, a lacy bra or a Kitchen Aid appliance), my friend appreciated it.
Now I’d already sent my dad a Father’s Day card with a coupon inside for a personal trainer (me) to get his “winter tush into summer tush shape” on the bike this July, but here I had the opportunity to get him something he really wanted.
So I Googled the store on Cape Cod where the shoes were sold, called Puritan Cape Cod and spoke to the 90-year-old owner, a family acquaintance for over 35 years. After giving him my credit card number and telling him my dad would be in soon, I called my father.
“Hey Dad,” I said. “I got you blue shoes for Father’s Day. Go to Puritan’s and pick them up.”
“Really?” I could hear the excitement in his voice, like a little boy who was told he was getting a bicycle. “I’ll go right now.”
Were the shoes a little more money? Yes. Could my father have bought them for himself? Yes. But was it worth it so he could have fun walking into the store and picking out the shoes he wanted? Absolutely.
Turns out, my dad was so thrilled he left the store with the blue shoes on his feet. Sans socks of course.
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