I stumbled upon a story recently that completely shifted my perspective on last-minute gift shopping. A woman named Nicole shared a viral moment she experienced while browsing the aisles of a Target store around 7 p.m. She was minding her own business when a panicked man approached her to ask for a huge favor.
He explained that he needed help picking out a birthday present for his wife. I initially thought this was a sweet gesture, assuming he was just trying to find something perfect. Nicole felt the same way and asked him when his wife’s birthday was.
@nicbcole Men DONT do this on your wife’s birthday! #men #womenempowerment #women #birthday #divorce ♬ original sound – NicBCole
The man’s answer was the first red flag. He admitted that her birthday was that very day. I couldn’t believe he had waited until the evening of the actual event to start looking.
Nicole was immediately disappointed. She pointed out that he should probably be at a celebratory dinner instead of wandering around a department store. She assumed his wife was likely busy driving their children around while he was out shopping for a thoughtless gift.
Things went from bad to worse when he showed her the item he was planning to buy. He was holding a shower curtain. I was just as shocked as Nicole was to learn that anyone would consider a bathroom accessory a romantic gesture.
She immediately shut down the idea. She told him directly that a shower curtain was absolutely not an acceptable birthday present. Since she didn’t have time to personally shop with him, she asked if the couple had any children.
He replied that they had three sons. That piece of information gave Nicole the perfect idea for a gift that didn’t cost a thing but meant everything. She told him the best gift he could give was to relieve his wife of her daily duties for the night.
I think her advice was spot on. She instructed him to go home, take over childcare duties, and put the boys to bed. If dinner wasn’t ready, he needed to make it himself.
She explained that his wife deserved to relax in a hot bath with a glass of wine and go to sleep early. Nicole told him plainly that he had really messed up this year, so stepping up as a partner was the only way to salvage the night. It was a harsh truth, but one he definitely needed to hear.
I would love to hear if you have ever received or given a gift that completely missed the mark, so tell me your stories in the comments.
