The 40th wedding anniversary is a monumental milestone in your life. A thoughtful gift is the best way to honor and celebrate that journey. Here are a few awesome gift ideas for you to give something special to your significant other on that special day.

Red Roses

When it comes to expressing love, you can never go wrong with red roses. A classic anniversary present, a beautiful bouquet of ruby-red roses can say it all on your special day while adding a touch of glamor to the celebration. Upscale florists are coming up with forever roses or eternal roses, a specially preserved type for freshness. What better message of undying and evergreen love to your life partner?

Sundial

This is a unique gift to present to your loving spouse on your 40th anniversary. Traditionally, sundials were used to measure the passing of time throughout one day. So, an anniversary sundial gift can speak volumes about how much you treasure the time and moments you have passed together, and also how much you’re counting on the future days. For a personal touch, customize the sundial with your wedding date.

Keepsake

You don’t need to spend a fortune on your 40h anniversary gift. A special keepsake can do the trick easily and better. The keepsake can be a special family heirloom, something small but meaningful to you both, or a thoughtful unique token of love. Any piece of history or happy memory of your life so far, gifted with care and love, is the best way to say I love you on that special day.

An Experience

A gift doesn’t always need to be packed in a box and wrapped with a bow. A gift is all about special moments, and nothing creates special moments better than shared experiences. So, a shared experience on that special day would be a wonderful celebration and gift at the same time by creating lasting anniversary memories. Plan a day of activities you’ll both enjoy or a surprise trip you’ve had in mind for a long time.

Gift Box

If settling on any particular gift item seems tough to you, consider creating a gift basket or gift box instead. It’s a highly flexible idea, as a gift box can be customized and personalized in any way you want. It may contain supplies for your partner’s new hobby, an assortment of favorite items you both treasure, or anything you desire. An anniversary gift box is a memorable present that allows you to express your love without breaking the bank.

After 56 years of not knowing each other, two sisters were reunited for the first time. Both Diane Ward and Mary McLaughlin thought they were only children but the two were brought together by the DNA and genealogy research group MyHeritage. For years, Diane and Mary circled each others’ orbits, unaware of the other’s existence. McLaughlin, who was living in suburban Detroit when she was young, regularly visited her adoptive family’s relatives who lived in suburban Pittsburgh. During that time, Ward lived in suburban Pittsburgh with her adoptive family, making frequent trips to visit relatives in suburban Detroit.

The Two Sisters Lived Close to Each Other During Their Early Lives

The two women discovered that the homes where they had stayed in Michigan, the city where they were born, were separated by just 15 minutes. Apparently, they were crossing back and forth most of their childhood, remaining in the same circle the whole time. McLaughlin even speculated that the two sisters might have seen each other or even sat at the same ice cream stand. Still, after 56 years during which the two didn’t know the other one existed, the sisters met for the first time.

Ward and McLaughlin Found Out They Were Sisters Through MyHeritage

Ward, who owns a taxi company with her husband in the UK, initiated the reunion. She knew her biological mother had placed her for adoption but had long wondered about her ethnic heritage. So, she made a Christmas present to herself in 2018 and bought access to DNA testing and a genealogy search through MyHeritage. She believed she could find her mother or father but never thought about siblings. So, when the research came back showing a link to a possible cousin, that cousin later directed Ward to a possible half-sister.

Ward got excited and McLaughlin agreed to accept contact from her through the site, McLaughlin, who is a former special education teacher who now sells tutoring programs, was intrigued but skeptical because she thought she was an only child. Her relationship with their biological mother was rather complicated because while she attempted to raise McLaughlin, she dropped the child off with a babysitter one day and didn’t return. Eventually, the babysitter and her husband became McLaughlin’s legal guardians and her biological mother was just a peripheral figure in her life.

The Two Sisters Met Eachother on a Vacation With Their Families

Ward’s outreach surprised McLaughlin in a great way and she decided to do the DNA kit herself. It turned out the two women were actually half-sisters. So, after McLaughlin’s test confirmed it, the two women interacted through social media apps and constant phone calls. According to Ward, the two once spoke for three hours and discussed topics like food and places they like to go. It turned out the two sisters had many similar mannerisms, gestures, sense of humor, and tastes.

So, soon after they reached out to each other, the two sisters planned a get-together. Ward and her husband, Colin, flew to the USA to join McLaughlin and her husband, Jack, and the couple’s adult children for a beachfront vacation in North Carolina. They met each other in person for the first time at the airport and described the feeling as surreal and overwhelming. The two women have now entered the second half of their lives, where they have a sister.