Unique Gift Basket Idea - In and Out

by Martha H.
(Anaheim, CA )

Even though my aunt was terminally ill, none of us expected to get that one call late Sunday afternoon. Her son Gabe had called to tell Rick, my husband and myself that they were on the way to the hospital in an ambulance. That was at 3:31 pm.

The phone was ringing as I was about to step in the shower,. It was Gabe...she didn't make it.

The phone just dropped from my hand and I just stood there not knowing what to say. It was 3:54 pm.

Even though she wasn't my aunt by blood she never treated me any different when I started living with her and Rick. She loved my son, Daniel, from my first marriage and when we had two more children she couldn't stay away from them. She loved my children so much and all three kids adored her.

As I had walked into the ER room to see her small body on the bed I started to cry and wondered why I hadn't spent more time with her knowing that she was sick. Here lying on a bed, her hands so cold, lay my good friend, ally and confidant. As several of us stayed around the bed to try to comfort each other we started telling stories about her that made us laugh.

When I first moved into her house Rick worked second shift. So, it was just the two of us along with Daniel at night time. Sometimes we would get some beer and start to drink while we talked and laughed. It never failed though, that around 1 am in the morning we would start to get hungry. It had been our custom to go to In-N-Out Burgers. We would fight over who was going to drive and pay. Somehow I always lost.

Two weeks went by and it was time for her memorial service. Finally, maybe some closure, it still didn't seem real, but I know at least she is in no pain and happy. I don't remember a lot of what was said at the service since I was in my own little world wondering who I was going to be able to talk to when Rick got out of hand and we fought.


As we were leaving the church, Gabe called my name and asked me to wait. As he approached me, he said he had something for me and wanted to give it to me. We walked over to his car and when opened the trunk I had no clue what he was going to give me.

Gabe handed me a basket with a pretty ceramic pig that pink diamonds all over its body, (I collect pigs), a twelve pack Coors Light, and a red tray with packaged condiments in it.

At first I didn't realize what it was, then I started to laugh out loud. The red tray was the one they serve your food on at In-N-Out. He said he had found the items when going through some of her things.

Why would she save this tray from 10 years ago? Then with tears in my eyes but with a feeling of relief I looked at the tray more closely and saw it. I had remembered one night I wrote my name in the tray and said that I was going to take it, so she wrote her name in it and said that she was going to take it first!

This little red tray gave me such pleasure and warm thoughts knowing that those times were great memories to both of us. Even though the basket probably wouldn't have meant very much to someone else, Gabe knew how important the items he found would be to me.

That night as we were driving home, we decided to stop to get something to eat. I will never think of In-N-Out Burgers the same way and even though it is corny it will always remind me of a very special lady. Now I look at "our " red tray with my little pig beside it and it makes everything alright.