And as for A?

What did A's husband get her for Christmas?

Back when Gemma came along, Bryan gave me a charm bracelet, and he's faithfully been adding charms to it. Each one is a well-considered symbol.

Some are obvious: A teddy bear for when Gemma was born.

Some are cute: A bison for when we lived in Kansas.

Some have long stories behind them: A Korean pipe as a symbol for how much fun we have together. (That's not supposed to make sense to you because I haven't told you the long story.)

Some are poetic: A pitcher, because I "pour out my life for Bryan and the kids."

And some are sweet: A Korean palace gate. For, in Seoul, there remain the 4 massive gates of a palace long since gone to ruins, and at each gate, there is a huge market. When I saw the charm, I asked, "Is this a symbol of how much shopping I've done here?"

He said, "No, I gave it to you because you're my queen."

This Christmas, the charm was. . .can you guess?


A hat.

And I thought that was great all by itself. But then came the accompanying explanation:

Because one day, I will wear a hat only when I want to.