Murphy, my husband, gave me a hoover for Christmas, and I’ll never forget it. You read that right. Something that cleans. It was a gift that made me so angry and upset that it would take me a whole year to figure out how to get even.
That year, we decided not to give each other gifts and instead pay attention to our family and the problems we were having. Murphy had other ideas, though. He was proud to show me the hoover cleaner and told me all about how it would make my life easy. He didn’t know that his gift would make things worse.
As I took the gift out of the box, my heart sank. It hurt like someone punched me in the gut. The vacuum cleaner wasn’t just any present; it was a sign of how careless and thoughtless Murphy was. Even though he took the time to fancy-wrap it, the gift itself made me remember that he only saw me as a maid and family helper.
I tried not to cry as I ran to our bedroom, but they came out easily. Murphy followed and tried to explain his gift, but I wouldn’t listen. We both said hurtful things during the heated fight that followed, which we later felt bad about.
As the night went on, I started to think of ways to get back at them. No matter how hard it got, I was going to make Murphy understand how grateful I was for his gift. I saved money for a year and waited for the right time to come along.
That time came the next Christmas. Our whole family was coming to spend the holiday with us, and I had a special present for Murphy. His face lit up with excitement as he opened the box, but that excitement quickly turned to fear when he saw what he had received: a huge case of toilet paper.
Everyone in the room laughed out loud, and I couldn’t help but smile. The look on Murphy’s face was priceless, and I felt like I had finally gotten back at him. But there was something else I saw in his eyes: a hint of understanding.
At that moment, I understood that my goal in getting back at Murphy wasn’t to hurt him, but to help him see things my way. I knew that our relationship was stronger because of the jokes and laughter we shared.
Murphy has never forgotten the lesson he learnt that Christmas, even though it’s been five years. They are more thoughtful and kind, and it makes our relationship better. I’ve learnt that sometimes the best way to get back at someone is not to hurt them, but to help them understand.
