Just Because...

On Friday, a colleague appeared in my little work room at lunch time carrying a large box.
'This arrived for you in Reception,' she said. 'Open it now! I want to see what it is!'
She is very demanding, this colleague.
So I opened the box, and out floated a silver 'n' red balloon with hugs 'n' kisses on it. Attached was a bar of chocolate and a packet of chocolate caramels.
'Oooooh!' said the demanding colleague. 'Is it your birthday?'
'No,' said I.
'Any other anniversary?'
'Nope,' I said.
'Who's it from?'
'My hubbie,' said I.


The demanding colleague looked at me suspiciously.
'What's he done that he needs to apologise for?' she said, sniffing for a spot of gossip and/or scandal.
'Nothing,' I said. 'He sent them just because.'


The demanding colleague didn't seem to get this concept. She pottered off, muttering about having to mention this spontaneous act of loveliness to her own obviously lacking partner.

Another colleague appeared. 'Oooh,' she said. 'Is it your birthday?'
'No,' I said. 'It's from my husband.'
'Why?' she said.
'Just because,' I said.

And so it went on. Three more people asked exactly the same questions about birthdays, anniversaries, guilt-trips, apologies.
'No,' I said. 'The reason is just because.'

Well, everyone was duly impressed by Andy's balloony chocolatey declaration. They all said how they wished their partners would do something similar.
'How long have you been together?' asked the Receptionist.
'Almost ten years,' I said.
'Wow,' she said.

Andy has sent me other surprising stuff through the post to my workplaces over the years. Flowers on several occasions. A pink Lady Penelope Rolls Royce toy. A sachet of carrot and coriander soup. That took some explaining.

I send him stuff too. It's not a regular occurence. It happens just irregularly enough to make it a surprise.

Go on. Try it. Send something through the post to your loved one - partner, parent, child, mad aunt, grandpa. It'll make them smile.

You don't need a reason. Just because.