Gladiator Chariot Birthday Tradition
In 1983, on my wife Karen's birthday, back when our boys were in elementary school, I built this gladiator chariot.
Our sons enjoyed playing with it! Pulling it and attached behind the chariot was a very big box. That box had 3 more boxes inside of it. The final box had tons of change in it. This became my wife's birthday present from the three of us (myself and two sons)!
We all had fun counting the money. What to do with the money, Karen asked? I said let's buy you some jewelry. No problems there! But only on one condition, that I go with Karen to pick out the jewelry. I agreed and off I went.
We had so much fun picking out the ring we bought, that that became a tradition every year for her birthday.
Every year thereafter, Karen received our collected change for her birthday and then I would add "plastic" to it to buy some fine jewelry each year.
Karen's collection grew until we decided to retire this tradition in 2016. Years later, I added the wooden base and wood "logs" inside the chariot for it does not bring her change any more.
- Reuben