Tale Of A Toolbox

Do you have a toolbox of your own? I do! My very own toolbox, specially put together just for me. I use it often and at times my sweetheart uses it for small in-the-house projects. It is kept in a very convenient place and comes out for small repairs, hanging pictures and odds-and-ends of little jobs.

Several years ago my sweetheart asked me what I would like for Christmas. I know he wasn't expecting to hear my request. A toolbox. I wanted a toolbox. Just a small one of my own! At the time we lived in a small house that had no garage and not much storage area inside. His big toolboxes were in a large storage shed a short distance away from the back door of the house. It just wasn't convenient to go out there to get a screwdriver or hammer or some tool for small things that needed to be done in the house. In the winter months here in Oregon we have rain. Lots of rain. It was especially not fun to have to bundle up, run through the rain and unlock the shed just to get a small tool for a one-or-two-minute job. So, you understand my desire for a little toolbox of my own that could be kept in the house with tools that were mine. For convenience. I had seen simple toolboxes for sale that would have been great. I imagined that my sweetheart would purchase one of them, wrap it and put it under our Christmas tree. I imagined something like this.

Or this.But that is not what I got that Christmas morning! No, my sweetheart couldn't just go out and buy a ready-made set. Not him! He is a very thoughtful, creative, fun person who enjoys doing special things for those he loves. Especially me! Add to that the fact that he works for Stanley Tools and you can imagine that I must have the BEST. It wouldn't do for me to have just any old tools. Not cheap tools. Not any brand. (See his shirt?)You can imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when I opened a box that didn't seem to be the right size for the gift I had requested. But I soon found that what he gave me was not only a practical toolbox - it was a gift of love. Something special. Like no other toolbox. And there was no other lady on earth with a toolbox like this one!

I had a little red toolbox. A Stanley toolbox!

I opened it, not knowing what to expect inside.And inside I found tools - and an extra surprise. Something completely unexpected! My favorite perfume! My signature perfume.After the happy surprise and a hug or two I looked to see what tools he had included. Would you believe Stanley tools? Not the ordinary, anyone-can-buy-them Stanley tools. No, some of them were special, promotional or available-only-to-Stanley-employee tools. Look at the set of screwdrivers. Bright, pretty handles! A little Stanley wrench.A special Stanley tape measure. Flourescent green. How could I ever miss it?And a little level. My sweetheart quickly added that he had not included a hammer, which he knew I would need. He explained that all of the small hammers that usually are added to toolboxes made for ladies are not strong and would break soon. He wanted to add a hammer that would last but he wanted it to be one that fit my hands well and had good balance when I use it. Custom-fitted. Just for me! He had one in his toolbox he wanted to suggest but it didn't look new and he didn't want me to think he just put an old hammer in with these nice, new tools. He quickly went out to the shed and came back with two or three hammers. The first one he suggested was the one! That's the hammer I use all the time. Is it any wonder that I smile every time I reach for my toolbox? Since that time I've added other little things that are handy to have around the house. No, it doesn't always look this neat. I recently cleaned it out and removed a few unnecessary things that had accumulated there.Not too long after I received my little toolbox we moved into the home where we live now. We have an attached garage where my sweetheart's tools are easily accessible. But I usually don't have a reason to find a tool out there because I have my own. In a convenient spot that works for me whenever I need to use it. And I always think of the surprise that Christmas Day and the look on my sweetheart's face when he gave me such a wonderful gift. Not just the gift of a toolbox but the gift of himself and his love all wrapped up inside. This little red toolbox will always be a treasure to me.