Day 3: My Better Half

-
"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." 
- When Harry Met Sally

Oh, Harry & Sally. It's my favorite romantic comedy of all time. The story is perfect. (Real, messy people!) The setting is perfect. (New York City!) The music is perfect. (Harry Connick, Jr.!) And this quote is so perfect, because life together isn't sustained by a feeling in your gut or starry eyes or whatever...a life of love together is sustained by acknowledging that there are a million different little things about the other person that you like. 

For example, I like that my husband is tall and handsome. I like that he is playful with everyone. He is seriously fun to be around. He is thoughtful and gentlemanly. He takes time to know people. He is really, really good at being a friend. His sense of humor is goofy. His knowledge of comedy movie quotes (and ability to quote them at the right time) is encyclopedic. He is as comfortable talking about investing as he is talking about the Muppets. He is dedicated to our church family. He seeks God's counsel, surrounds himself with Godly friends, is sacrificially generous. He makes dinner (or dinner reservations), he hires babysitters, he plans parties. He can change lightbulbs without having to stand on a chair. He can keep any handy friends company while they do the other stuff. He rarely thinks I'm crazy.

He will sing karaoke, dance on stage, out-prank, out-joke, out-loud-laugh with the best of them. He is my favorite concert partner because he might sing louder than me, and he's tall enough to stand behind me and provide a nice buffer between me and the rest of the crowd. He is a great dad who will play on the floor, in a princess tent, ride in a Barbie jeep. He's super cool, but not too cool for anything. He is up for adventure, or he is up for marathon TV watching together. Whatever.

He is devoted to his family. He will stay on the phone forever laughing with friends. He stands strong in important matters, like his aversion to mushrooms. He walks in the door with a smile and greets me with a kiss before doing anything else.

I love you, husband. But I really, really like you. Thanks for liking me back.
------------------------------------------

Now...who do you need to tell?


This post is part of a 31 day writing challenge. 
You can find links to the rest of the posts in the series here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gospel According to Daddy Warbucks

-
Image
Hooooow many times have I seen Annie? It must be a number in the hundreds. Add to that the number of times I've listened to or sung the music, seen the play...and, oh, yeah - there was that time I DIRECTED THE SHOW IN HIGH SCHOOL. Well, technically that was the sequel, but still, I was immersed in the story for like 4 straight months. So imagine my surprise when tonight, I'm just sitting here, minding my own business, being mom of the year by ordering pizza, cuddling up with the girls and having an Annie-watching pajama party - singing along with every single number and... what? Tears? What the...? Tonight, I saw a completely different story. See, there's this girl. An orphan. Let's call her...Annie. She's a pretty good kid, looks out for others, sings very sweetly. She's living in hell, but it's all she's ever known. She can imagine something better - she just doesn't know how to find it. She makes a couple of attempts at escape, but finds tha
Read more

Block the Door

-
Image
Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead today, and I am heartbroken. He was found, they say, in his underwear, with a needle in his arm, on the bathroom floor. It's that part that gets me the most. I believed him to be a creative genius, capable of depth and believable on-camera-grit than most, and his talent will be missed. He leaves behind a successful career, an admiring public and a family who loved him. But the hardest part to process isn't the how or the why. It's the where . The bathroom floor. The dirtiest place in the home. It is not made to comfort a resting body. The bathroom floor is cold, hard and lonely. And yet at one point today for Philip, there were no offers more appealing than stretching out on the bathroom floor and calling it a day. Philip's death made headlines. But there are so many that don't. I am privileged to know a family who has been standing between their loved one and the bathroom floor for years. They are waging an insp
Read more

It's Time to Stop the Bleeding: A Manifesto on Friendship

-
Image
I'm gonna need some help, South Florida. We're losing the good ones. As a native South Floridian, which is kind of a novelty, there is one conversation I have with people all the time. It goes like this: Normal people: So do you ever get used to this heat? Me: Yes. Of course there's more to the story, but I know that generally people aren't really interested in how I, personally, deal with the oppressive weather. They just want to make the unique observation that I live in a place that can feel hotter than the surface of the sun. I assume it would be like living in New York City and getting asked if you see famous people all the time, but less glamorous. Maybe it's more like living in LA and being asked about the traffic. But there is another conversation that happens way too often, and it's one that breaks my heart, every time. Normal people: We're moving. (Other variations: Our 5-year-plan is to move away; We can't wait to get out of her
Read more