Unconventional Gifts of Love

By Rose Dee

In days of old, men would write poetry to their beloved, or pen prose to make the heart sing and swoon. Artists would paint pictures. Romantics would send flowers. All these gifts were intended to delight and entrance the beloved.  My beloved has recently delighted me with a somewhat unconventional gift of love: A deck.

Since we began building our bush camp, I have wanted—desired—a deck. A place where I could sit and while away the day. A place where I could write, read, or work. A place just above the bird bath where all the native animals would come and visit me. The best view in the camp.

You can imagine my delight when I arrived at the camp last week and my deck was sitting waiting for me, complete with its own bench seat, nibbles table, shade sail, and flower pots. My husband (along with his good mate, a big believer in the attributes of outdoor spaces) had spent countless hours  constructing my new deck.

My new place of peace couldn't have come at a better time for me. I was feeling very down, and the sight of my deck lifted my spirits. But my spirits were also lifted by the gift of love, the thought and effort the boys put into the job. It was a great sacrifice and I felt as though my husband had really heard me, and set out to show me he loved me.

Gifts of love come in many forms. Sometimes they are the obvious ones, and sometimes they are outside the expected. For me, no poetry, flowers, or other grand gesture would come close what my husband made for me—my deck, my own little part of the world to enjoy.

Have you ever received an unconventional gift of love? Please share it with us in the comments. 

About Rose Dee 

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction. She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.