For my son’s fortieth birthday, the entire family is going away for a three-night stay in upstate NY.
- My son has always wanted to go salmon fishing, and this was his opportunity.
He needed a new fishing rod that was heavy enough for him to catch a salmon without it breaking the line or the rod. I found a plastic coated rod that was weighted for up to 100 pounds. I was sure this plastic coated rod was going to be strong enough for him to get the fish he wanted. I tried to tell him that he shouldn’t buy a new rod, but he was insistent. Later that week, he and his family came to dinner. It was four-months early, but I gave him his birthday present. He almost cried when he saw the plastic coated rod. It was made so it would bend without breaking. I wasn’t sure if the reel was going to be what he needed, but Ieft it up to him to decide what kind of fishing line and lures he needed. He made it sound like the plastic coated rod was one of the greatest gifts he had ever been given. The next words out of his mouth almost made me cry. He asked if I remembered the moo cow I got him for Christmas when he was three. He told me this fishing rod made him as happy as his moo cow did. I didn’t even think he remembered that moo cow, let alone how happy it made him. It was a rough Christmas that year, and each of the kids got one gift, and it was one they asked for. All he wanted was a moo cow, and I got him one.