This is a response from a Reddit user to the question "What's the single most important item in your home that has a value of $1 or less?"

.............

One time, about five years into our relationship, my girlfriend (now wife) and I were in separate rooms in our one bedroom apartment in early December.

From the other room, she hollered to me “what do you want for Christmas?”

I had been working full time, taking part-time university classes to finish my degree, and had been volunteering as part of a youth mentor program... so I said “All I really want is a break.”

Three weeks later, I’m unwrapping a very heavy shoebox. After getting through the mountain of duct tape and several layers of wrapping paper, I had my very own... brick.

“I really didn’t understand what you wanted it for,” she said, “but you sounded so sure of it. So here you go!”

Cue about ten minutes of laughs, and now that brick sits proudly on my desk. Every time I am overwhelmed or feeling like I’ve taken on too much, I look at it, pick it up, have a little laugh, and put it back so I can carry on. Best gift ever.