O Henry's masterpiece "Maggie's Gift", the founder of the American short story, tells the story of a poor couple.
They quietly sold their most beloved things in order to give each other Christmas gifts.
Later, the two found that the gifts they had painstakingly bought back could not be used by the other party.
We are accustomed to being materially expressed, equating houses, cars, and tickets with feelings.
But I don't know that the best gift in a relationship is often invisible to the naked eye.
1
What we see is that the husband and wife are poor and lowly, and what we cannot see is that we share weal and woe.
Jim and Della are a young couple living in poverty.
Jim is an ordinary small clerk with a low position, a busy job, and a small salary.
Delaze worked day after day, meticulously maintaining household expenses.
They rent an apartment that rents $8 a week, with tattered furniture and cramped space, no different from a slum.
Usually, no one came to visit them at all, and there were never any letters sent to them in the mailbox.
After paying the rent every month and paying the basic living expenses, they can hardly save a penny.
Jim's coat and gloves were worn out of shape, but he couldn't afford to buy a new one.
Della was also reluctant to dress herself, did not have beautiful jewelry and clothes, and was gray all day long.
Ordinary couples in the world are often carefree before marriage, and they know that chai rice is expensive after marriage, and it is difficult to live a day.
Every family may inevitably have to deal with such and such economic dilemmas.
But the care of the little bits and pieces can encourage each other to cross the obstacles, and can also give glory to the bleak life.
Whenever Jim came home from work, Della would run to the door to greet him, calling his name affectionately and hugging him tightly.
In order to buy Jim a Christmas present, Della ignores face and bargains with the greengrocer and grocery store owner, trying to save money.
Their love for each other and their contentment with life make the original bitter days sweet.
In life, many couples cannot withstand the test of reality.
Once you encounter all kinds of troubles, you will forget the sweetness of glue, quarrel with each other, and blame each other.
As long as you fall into a poor situation, you will lose the romance of the Sea Oath Mountain Alliance, cut off with each other, and part ways.
Bi Shumin once said:
A good man and a good woman, in the days of common tribulation, is a strange animal with four legs and four hands.
Although they have two hearts, they have only one thought—to move forward in the same boat.
True love has nothing to do with things outside the body such as wealth, fame, and status.
Know how to encourage each other to stand up the backbone, you can carry the burden of life; willing to give each other a warm hug, will eventually survive the cold winter night.
With the friendship of sharing weal and woe, the righteousness of taking care of each other, and the life accompanied by loess, you can also live out the golden years.
2
What is seen is futile, and what is invisible is the imprint of the heart.
In this small, poor family of Jim and Della, there are only two decent things.
The first is the gold watch that Jim has passed down from three generations of ancestors, which is extremely luxurious and exquisite, and even the richest king will want to take it for himself when he sees it.
The second is Della's hair, incomparably rich and moist, even the queen who wears gold and silver can only dwarf her in front of her.
However, the leather strap that Jim used to match the gold watch was already worn out, so he was always ashamed to pull out the gold watch in front of people and play with it.
Della also did not have any ornaments that matched her hair, so she had to pull her hair up casually and wear an old hat when she went out.
They saw each other's embarrassment in their eyes and remembered it in their hearts.
On Christmas Eve, Della wants to buy Jim a bracelet worthy of a gold watch.
She tried to save as much as she could, saving a point, but she worked hard for months and still was far from it.
In the end, she hesitated for a long time, gritted her teeth and sold her hair, and finally made up enough money.
But when she went through all the hardships and gave the bracelet to Jim, Jim did not show the slightest joy.
It turns out that Jim has sold the gold watch and bought a beautiful set of hairpins for Della that she dreamed of.
Unfortunately, Della, who lost her hair, could no longer use it.
A surprise that was carefully planned by each other, but in the end, it caused great regrets.
They invariably gave up what was most precious to them, and the gifts they received were of no use.
However, in the face of Della's short hair, which had been permed haphazardly, and Jim's empty pockets, the two did not complain to each other, but looked at each other and smiled.
Because they have received the best gift, that is, the other person's sincerity.
I remembered a passage that Zhang Xiaoxian said:
Every woman falls into the bowl of hot soup that a man brings home from work.
In fact, it is not that the soup is delicious, but it turns out that you still put me in your heart.
A sincere relationship is not to see what expensive gifts you have sent, but whether you treat each other with heart.
People who love you, even if they give everything for you, will worry that they will not give you enough;
I'd rather suffer on my own, and I'd find a way to make you happier than everyone else.
Knowing your cold and warm care, understanding your tacit understanding of sorrow and joy, is far more precious than the fullness of material.
When a person is willing to give his whole world to you, he sincerely wants to live with you for the rest of his life.
Willing to spend money, spend time, spend thoughts, thank each other for paying, give each other warmth, and share whiteheads with deep affection.
3
What is seen is the difficulty of life, and what is invisible is mutual fulfillment.
I've heard a quote like this:
"The greatest meaning of a couple's bond is not to dress and eat, to have children, but to complete each other."
Unhappy marriages will only wear away the beauty of love and exhaust the expectation of life.
A good marriage is to fulfill each other's wishes and nourish each other's souls.
Jim, who is only 22 years old, has already taken on the burden of supporting his family.
The fatigue at work and the financial pressure did not make his love for his wife diminish.
The young and beautiful Della also dedicated his great youth to his family.
The triviality of chai rice oil and salt, the tiredness of busyness before and after, did not wear away her tenderness for her husband.
They strive to find good things from the cracks of suffering, satisfy each other's happiness, and achieve the happiness of marriage.
I have seen too many feelings, consumed by trivialities, and disintegrated by successive storms.
If passionate love is a flower, then a bland marriage is a fruit.
The warm details that make your partner happy and happy will turn into nutrients that make your feelings stronger.
The story of Jim and Della in the book is also a true portrayal of the author O Henry and his wife.
O.Henry lost his mother at an early age, fell into the middle of the family when he was a teenager, and was forced to drop out of school at the age of 15 and work everywhere.
He worked as a pharmacy apprentice, as a shepherd, as a government clerk, and as a cashier and accountant in a bank.
However, after a hard job, his income was barely enough to make ends meet, and his family was destitute.
When he was 21 years old, he fell in love with his wife, Athor, at a dance party.
Despite his parents' objections, Athol made a lifelong secret agreement with him and married him.
After marriage, O.Henry did not want Tosso to live a hard life with him, and worked harder than before.
But Athol never cared about the quality of material conditions and took care of the housework with all his might.
When she discovered that O Henry loved to write, she advised him not to overwork for a living.
With her support, O.Henry experimented with creation in his spare time, contributing to magazines and newspapers and becoming a well-known writer.
Chernyshevsky said:
To love someone means to be happy for his happiness, to do everything that needs to be done in order to make him happier, and to be happy from it.
True love is never an earth-shattering ghost, but treats every little thing of the other party as a big thing; in the fireworks of the world, the joy of the other party is fulfilled.
What is most feared in marriage is not the hardship of life, but the barrenness of the heart.
Even if the reality is boring, looking up at the sky full of stars together is the biggest romance in a bland marriage.
4
There is an impressive passage in the book:
Two stupid children living in the same apartment unwisely sold two of the most precious things in their home for each other.
However, of all the people who give gifts, the two of them are the smartest;
Of all the people who give or receive gifts, the two of them are also the smartest.
In the current materialistic moment, materialism and money seem to be the most solid cornerstone of feelings.
No matter how romantic love is, it will eventually fall into the trivialities of dressing, eating, and sleeping.
Marriages that can stand the test are never built up in gold and jade, but are supported by the details of love.
The responsibility of suffering and sharing, the kindness of mutual gratitude, and the selflessness of mutual fulfillment are the emotional wealth that is most worth cherishing.
Give it a thumbs up, work together with the people you love, drive the rough waves of life, and feel the long stream of time.
Author: Insight Xu Zhaohui