A Basket of Finer Things

by Lin
(East Providence, RI USA)

When my close friend’s husband died, I had no idea how to console her. I couldn’t come up with the right words, and even spending quiet time with her didn’t seem to do much. I thought about sending her a condolence gift basket, but I didn’t want to just send the typical items. I wanted it to be something that brought a genuine smile to her face.

She and her husband had always struggled financially, and they could never afford the finer things in life. Neither one of them complained about that, and it was always a standing joke with them that they had to drink boxed grape juice in place of wine with their pasta dinners. I decided to send my friend a basket filled with wine, so she could finally enjoy one of the finer things.