Della has spent months trying to save enough money for a gift "worthy" of her husband, Jim. Yet right before Christmas she has less than $2.00. This leads her to make the ultimate sacrifice and sell her beautiful hair, "shining like a cascade of brown waters," which is one of their most prized possessions. Like many offerings made in love, this is not so much a loss for Della but a victory. The next two hours passed "on rosy wings" as she finally had the freedom to purchase a gift that reflected the value she saw in her husband. It wasn’t until she realized that she had also taken away a treasure of Jim’s as well, that she began to worry about her decision to cut her hair. "Hopefully he will still love me.