Write a letter to your friend telling him / her about your new bicycle your parents gifted you on your birthday.
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I received most unusual birthday presents from my partner on two birthdays. The gifts themselves spoke directly about how well she knew me as well as how deeply she cared for me. I have never before or since received gifts that demonstrated such insight into me and such total love for me. She gave the gifts to me on birthdays separated by several years. As I tried to think which was more special and thoughtful, I decided that I couldn’t pick one over the other. The two gifts were very different though.
We had a family tradition of having birthday dinners at a local restaurant we all enjoyed. After we had eaten dinner, after everyone sang “Las Mañanitas”, the Mexican birthday song, she told me that she had decided on what she and our son were going to give me for my birthday but that it would require my participation to go get it. They had chosen to give me a Dóberman puppy for my birthday but I had to go looking at puppies with them to choose the one I wanted.
Earlier in the year, my partner was away. A stranger broke into my house in the Hollywood Hills through a kitchen window while our son and I were asleep in our bedrooms. It was the day after his second birthday. I was brutally attacked but my son slept through the attack, for which I was grateful. My partner cut short her trip and came home right away. We moved to another larger house in Echo Park within the month. We also had a large yard with lots of trees. I told her that I wanted to get another dog, a Dobie, besides the middle-aged Springer spaniel we loved. Loving as Springers may be, he was no guard dog. Months went by and both of us seemed to have forgotten about getting another dog.
We left the restaurant and went to the first place that she had found with a Doberman for sale. It was down towards South Central so we had time to talk about the jobs of having a new dog around. Our son volunteered to walk the dog everyday but at two and a half, was more enthusiastic than able to walk even a Dobie puppy. Of course we talked about getting the dog neutered, shots, training, and all the rest of the duties a new puppy requires.
When we got to the house where the puppy lived, sunset was beginning and the light wasn’t great. The guy who had the dog went to the yard to get her. He brought in a young black and tan Dobie about five months old. He had a heavy chain on her with a wire collar that had raised pieces all around it. It seemed designed to make her look fierce. When he brought her in, I crouched down and called her softly. Fortunately neither her tail nor her ears were cut, and her tail was wagging furiously as she crawled the few feet to me. I reached out to scratch her ears and that big fierce Dobie puppy piddled on the floor like a Chihuahua. I was in love. I don’t remember all the man selling her said but I could see that she didn’t particularly like him.
We named her Randall, for no good reason, and loved her fiercely. She was my son’s family dog, our trusty family protector, and the happiest, most protective Doberman ever. She lived a long, happy life until she was 13 years old, an ancient for a Doberman. She guarded our home fiercely. She once woke us up with a low, throaty growl and then hit the jalousie window in the dining room. At 2 am, someone was breaking into our house. Randall was an amazing birthday present.
The second memorable birthday present my partner gave me was a few years later. She told me that for my birthday, I could choose a piece of classical music for the guitar and she would learn to play it for my birthday. She had studied classical guitar for years and was an outstanding player. She had enriched my life by expanding my knowledge of and interest in classical music so much. Although she was probably less than enthusiastic about my choice, “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” by Tárrega, I watched her learn and practice the piece. She played so well.
On the evening of my birthday, after we returned from dinner, after our son was asleep, she brought me blindfolded into the living room. It was lit with scented candles. On the coffee table was an ice bucket with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne, two flute glasses next to it. A fondue pot with chocolate and a bowl of large, fresh hothouse strawberries sat to the side.
She played the piece I requested flawlessly. Or if she made mistakes, I surely don’t remember it. We sipped champagne and ate chocolate strawberries. Because the “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” is a fairly short piece, she played it for me again. I can’t hear this beautiful piece of music without crying to this day.
Wonderful memories of the best birthday presents ever.
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