The saying, “It is better to give than receive,” has definite merit, at least when I think about the best gifts I have ever given, and how much joy the giving has given back.
My blogging friend at Mamas Empty Nest just shared her story of finding the perfect gift for a beloved sister. And her post got me thinking when she said it was “…the best gift I have ever given to another person.”
In 1959 and my Mom announced she was searching for a special book, written by Grace Hegger Lewis (first wife of Sinclair Lewis) and entitled Half a Loaf. It was published in 1931.
SEARCHING PRE-INTERNET
So began a fifteen year search (before the wonders of the internet) for Half a Loaf. I remember we scoured book stores and inquired at every library to no avail. I began to think it was a mission impossible.
But Christmas of 1974 was fast approaching and I finally discovered a first edition in an antique store!
I could hardly wait until Christmas morning! And of course, my mother’s thrill was my thrill too, and we were both grinning and delighted with each other. In a way it was sad that our search was over but we would find other adventures to share. At that moment her joy was all that mattered and her surprise was more satisfying to me than anything else under the tree.
SCARCE, SCARCE, SCARCE!
In today’s world, we can find almost anything with the touch of a few keys.
Still, out of curiosity, and even though I have Mom’s book on my shelves now, I went online to see just how fast I could find it (or any information on it) today. I was stunned to learn it is considered a rare book and even listed as “scarce, scarce, scarce.” I could find no cover photos and no write-ups or reviews either, not even on Amazon.
The little book seems as obscure now as it was in 1959, but at least the search for it took minutes this time instead of fifteen years, and it is available from just a few sellers of rare books.
A SECRET BETWEEN THE PAGES
Returning to my bookshelf this morning, I retrieved the little book and turned its pages once again, so many years later. Mom died in 1993 and she left it for me to rediscover this morning.
As I gently turned the yellowing pages, something fell out! I thought it was a newspaper clipping but it turned out to be a crumbling dust jacket with a synopsis. I felt tears coming at the same time as an intense joy. Once again I was holding something my Mom had held. She had cherished it so much she saved the old book’s dust cover folded between its pages and until now, I never even knew it was there.
Half a Loaf was the best gift I have ever given to another person and proof that there is definitely more joy in giving than receiving.
What is the best gift you have given to another person?
From the Dust Cover of Half a Loaf:
“This is the story of what it means to be a successful author’s wife – told by a successful author’s former wife. Half a Loaf is romantic and realistic. Romantic because the two chief characters were young and in love when success came to them and because they continued, almost to the end, to find adventuring on an open road of more importance than emeralds in Cartier settings. Realistic because Mrs. Lewis reveals with piercing insight that when a woman marries an author, she marries not only the man who loves her but also the author – the author who unconsciously becomes, in their creation, the characters he is creating, and who unconsciously becomes the person his reading public has invented.”
About Sinclair Lewis:
Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American novelist, short story writer, and playwrite. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters. His works are known for their insightful and critical views of American society and capitalist values, as well as for their strong characterizations of modern working women.
I bet you wouldn’t have felt half the satisfaction and joy if you had found it in 5 minutes via the internet. But then, I’m old fashioned. I still like to write letters and read physical books:-)
LikeLike
Oh Doran, I had to grab for the tissues as I was reading this…
*sending a hug*
LikeLike
Aw….I can just imagine how you must have felt when you discovered that dust jacket! It’s always a special feeling to give someone the “perfect” gift.
LikeLike
Best gift I ever gave: A little black kitten for my boyfriend. It’s tricky giving a pet because you just can’t take it back. But it was love at first sight for all of us. And that boyfriend has now been my husband for 21 years.
LikeLike
Good story Dor—and it looks like a great book too. I bet its worth has gone up over the years!
LikeLike
Thanks Stacia! One place offers the book at $75 for a first edition. It sold for $2.50 on publication. The author is so obscure that the book will probably never make anyone rich. For me, the richness is in the memories of Mom.
LikeLike
Now there’s a great blog post! What a wonderful story to share! Do you still have a black cat?
LikeLike
As always, you catch the real core of the story Dianna. It was the dust jacket that really got to me, knowing how she deliberately tried to save it and how special that gift was.
LikeLike
Me too! Thanks for the *hug*. And I’m still sending one back to you too remembering your beautiful lost people whisperer.
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting! You are so right about the lost joy in finding that gift quickly on the internet. The years of searching with my mother for the book are all part of the memories it still carries. I love it that you still like “snail mail” and what I call “real books.” BTW, I am following you now too and enjoying all your gift ideas.
LikeLike
Thank you, Doran. I appreciate it.
LikeLike
What a treasure–story and book. One of my little book treasures I found in a used bookstore for 3 bucks–A Child’s History of England by Charles Dickens! Given to “Ralph” in 1903. 🙂 I felt like I was stealing when I left with that find.
LikeLike
What a special story! Nothing can replace holding an old book in your hand that someone has touched and cherished.
LikeLike
Loved the story, Dor. I know the feeling of hunting and hunting for a book, and then finally finding it (at a garage sale), but it was a book for myself, not a treasure for someone else, and the hunt didn’t last 15 years. What a wonderful Mother memory!
LikeLike
Thanks! Glad you hear you like I Love Gifting. You might like this post if you like snail mail too:-)
http://ilovegifting.me/2012/07/07/the-simple-everyday-people/
LikeLike
What a beautiful post Dor! It brought back memories for me of truly special gifts given and received. There is no better feeling, especially when you are on the giving end and see the look of joy on the receiver’s face. What a wonderful memory for your to revisit :).
LikeLike
What a find! And I think “real” books, and especially old ones like these, will grow in value as printed books become novelties. I just read that a university library just went paperless. Imagine?
LikeLike
Oh, I so agree! 🙂
LikeLike
That is a lovely post and thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
Thanks Cindy! Hope your return trip to the snowbelt is fun and you find lots more things to photograph! 🙂
LikeLike
When the terrorists and / or Chinese cyber attack our virtual libraries, we will be wordless. You and I will have to fill in the gap!
LikeLike
We will have to live a long time, or pass down our legacy of words. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, Dor, what an endearing story! The quest for treasure for a loved one just isn’t the same now when we can find almost anything by a click online. I’m privileged to know my post sparked this story for you to share with all of us.
LikeLike
Wahhhh!! I miss the South already and you of course :).
LikeLike
Yep – it was you who inspired that post mama – with your story of the bride doll for your sister. That was lovely.
LikeLike
We are thinkin’ of y’all fer sure. 🙂
LikeLike