A Very Thoughtful Gift...

 The box came before Christmas, as many boxes do. And the box was opened on Christmas morning, as many boxes are.

Inside were two mugs...a perfect gift for any U of U football fan. The mugs celebrated Utah's invitation to this year's Rose Bowl game. On the back listed the Ute's schedule of wins/loses and the scores of each contest.

It was a gift from my sister-in-law and I thought, "What a thoughtful gift."

Then, my mind began to think about things, and I realized just how thoughtful the gift was.

It was the dates that did it.

You see, such a mug could not have been available to purchase until the evening of December 3rd, 2021. Of course, the mugs could have been made before that date, but it wasn't until Utah beat Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship game that such a mug would be wanted by a Utah fan. After the game ended, the Rose Bowl invite was "official."

And that's when the mugs were ordered.

What made the gift special to us is that my sister-in-law knows we're Utah football fans (as is she...). But, my sister-in-law lost her husband several weeks earlier than the December game. So, even after her husband passed away, she sent such a wonderful gift. If what happened to her had happened to me, I don't think I'd remember to do much of anything.

The gift was wonderful. The U of U season was amazing, and now I have a memento of not only the game, but of a selfless act of giving that I'll cherish more than the season's memories. Thanks, Pam! It means a lot.