TL;DR
Turn your wind-down time into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
A Sixty and Me contributor recounts initially disliking a large wind chime her partner gave her for Mother’s Day after the couple moved into a new Arizona home. Once hung on the patio, its deep sound became a comfort and a reminder of her partner’s affection.
A Sixty and Me contributor says a large wind chime given by her partner for Mother’s Day became a cherished feature of their Arizona home, despite her initial disappointment. In a personal essay set last spring, she describes how hearing its deep notes on the patio changed her reaction and made the gift a reminder of her partner’s love.
The writer and her partner had recently moved from a one-bedroom condominium into a house that needed cleaning and updates. Its professionally landscaped yard was already in bloom, with flowering shrubs and greenery, and the couple spent breaks drinking coffee on a shaded patio. They watched hummingbirds and birds, including a family of quail, while also hearing a neighbor’s faint, high-pitched wind chime.
On Mother’s Day, her partner presented her with a long, heavy box. Inside was a large black wind chime, which she says she did not immediately welcome. She thanked her partner but set the box aside. Several weeks later, she brought it out and suggested that her grandchildren help hang it. The chime was eventually placed on the back patio.
The writer says the first gust changed her view: the chime’s tone sounded deep and rich, complementing the neighbor’s higher notes. Because its pieces were large and heavy, it rang only in stronger winds. She came to associate it with Arizona dust storms, quiet evenings and time spent reading or working in the kitchen.
How the Chime Changed Her View
The essay’s central point is personal rather than a report of a wider trend: the writer says her first reaction did not predict how she would feel once she experienced the gift in its setting. A sound she had appreciated from a neighbor’s yard took on a different quality when it became part of her own home.
She also connects the chime to the relationship behind the gift. Its sound became a daily reminder of her partner’s affection, while its occasional ringing offered a source of comfort. Her account illustrates how a present’s value can develop over time, through use and personal association, rather than being settled at the moment it is received.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A New Home and a Patio
The story takes place after the couple moved into a home they were pleased to find, although it required cleaning and updates. The yard was one of its selling points: spring flowers, established landscaping and a broad patio gave them a place to pause amid their projects.
Before receiving the gift, the writer had already noticed and enjoyed a neighbor’s wind chime. She distinguishes that delicate, higher sound from the lower, heavier notes of her own. The contrast helped her appreciate the two chimes together, rather than viewing the new one as a duplicate.
““Whoa! I must admit I am not thrilled.””
— The writer, recounting her first reaction to the gift
What the Essay Leaves Open
The account is a personal recollection, not a survey or evidence that recipients generally grow to like unexpected gifts. It does not identify the contributor in the supplied material or give an exact publication date. The essay also does not specify the chime’s maker, price or model; its focus is the writer’s changing response.
The Writer’s Invitation to Readers
The essay closes by inviting readers to reflect on times when an assumption changed after they tried an activity, read a book or got to know someone. It also asks whether readers have received a gift they did not initially like but later came to value. No follow-up event or further reporting is stated in the supplied source.
Key Questions
What gift did the writer initially dislike?
Her partner gave her a large black wind chime for Mother’s Day. She thanked her partner but initially set the box aside.
What changed her opinion of the wind chime?
After it was hung on the patio, she heard its deep, rich tone and found that it worked alongside the neighbor’s higher-pitched chime.
Where is the story set?
The essay describes the couple settling into a new home in Arizona, with a landscaped yard and a patio where they spent time outdoors.
What is the essay’s main takeaway?
The writer reflects that initial expectations can change through experience. In her case, the chime came to offer comfort and remind her of her partner’s love.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
