An Unexpected Gift

An Unexpected Gift

By Elizabeth Mowers

My aunt found this book at an art fair and mailed it to me. I love it! And I know she loves me tooπŸ’–
(In case you're wondering, those pages are folded with precision, not cut)

With Valentine's Day approaching, romance authors spend a lot of time (more time than other people, perhaps?) thinking about gift giving. We've had a few blog posts recently about gift giving and it gave me an idea to post about Tuesday gifts.

Are you familiar with Tuesday gifts? You probably are but haven't used this label before. My girlfriends and I coined the phrase to describe a gift you give someone for no other reason than because you love them and were thinking of them. As in, "This is for you. Happy Tuesday!"

There is a movie that better explains this type of gift giving. If you have not yet seen the 2000 movie, FINDING FORRESTER, do yourself a favor and rent it. It's a beautiful story. Sean Connery (did I have you at Sean Connery?) stars as a novelist who becomes a recluse after his first novel becomes a best-selling success. He meets a gifted teenage writer and begins mentoring him. 



In the movie, his protege talks about a girl at school he likes. Sean Connery gives him some excellent advice. He tells him to give her "an unexpected gift at an unexpected time." The kid does and, of course, the object of his affections loves it. Sean Connery knew the power of a Tuesday gift!

I think giving Tuesday gifts is more exciting than receiving them. I was traveling all last week visiting family. Eight days is the longest (by far!) that I have ever been away from my children. So, because I can be a great planner (when I put my mind to it), I hid a bag of treats in my closet for them to find. I texted them one morning with instructions to go digging in my closet and...surprise! I had only wrapped little notebooks, pens and M&M candies, but the excitement of getting a Tuesday gift carried much more weight than anything I could have given them before or after the trip. An unexpected gift, at an unexpected time.

An old, beat up gift bag + tissue paper + little treats = a fabulous Tuesday gift

So what is the best Tuesday gift you have ever received? Or given?




My new book, WHERE THE HEART MAY LEAD, comes out June 2020. You can preorder now at Harlequin and Amazon


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πŸ’–



Comments

  1. I love this! Probably my most favorite unexpected gift was an envelope with 10 folded notes with days 1 thru 10 on the outside. I was going to be away from home for 10 days. Each day was a special scripture that really fit that day.

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  2. Oh, I love this. My favorite Tuesday gifts, because it wasn't planned, was one Christmas when my husband and I left gifts for each other under the little tree I keep on the kitchen counter. They ranged from candy bars to guitar strings to WOW! jewelry. I've forgotten what many of the things were, but I'll never forget that it was the sweetest 12 Days of Christmas we've ever had. Thanks for sharing this post--it was wonderful!

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    1. Thanks, Liz. What a fun way to keep the spirit of Christmas going for days and days!

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  3. Forget Sean Connery, you sold me on “Tuesday gifts”! I love the idea and am adopting the custom. But I’m very interested in that book...the pages are folded rather than cut? Very cool and a wonderful gift any day.

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    1. Ha ha, I'm glad it was the Tuesday gifts that sold you. Yes, the pages are folded. I would love to know how the artist figured this out. I know I'll keep this book
      for-e-ver!

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  4. I love that book. What a wonderful gift, especially for a romance writer. Now and then, my husband has come home with a bouquet of daffodils (my favorite) for no reason and I was thrilled, especially since he's not a romantic gesture sort of guy. Love the concept of Tuesday gifts!

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  5. This book is without a doubt the COOLEST book I've ever seen. What work went into that book. I love the idea of Tuesday gifts. And FINDING FORESTER is the best movie. I love it. AND it has Sean Connery.

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    1. It really is a wonderful movie, and Sean Connery was great in it.

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  6. I love thrift store and flea market shopping so I am always buying things for people I know and love. I pay little attention to gift giving holidays and just send whatever whenever.

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  7. Gifts for no reason always seem like the most special gifts of all. They always touch our hearts because they come as a surprise. Loved Finding Forester--thanks for mentioning it. Movies can be great gifts to our spirits!

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    1. Virginia, that's true. Good stories, no matter how they are delivered, are some of the greatest gifts!

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  8. You're such a sweet mama! I'm sure your kids loved that surprise. My husband is great at giving Tuesday gifts, too. Usually he brings me something silly from the Dollar Tree that connects to an inside joke, or a favorite candy of mine.

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    1. That's sweet of him! It doesn't take anything expensive, does it? The thought really counts!

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    2. Yes! Your Aunt DOES love you. Glad you love the LOVE book. It was made for you!

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