So Called Romance

On December 31 the calendar rolled over to a New Year, so there was that. Also that day marked 16 years of marriage for Leslie and I. I could dwell on how I am amazed that two crazy, know nothing, no career having /planning kids made it this far- but I won't. My marriage to Leslie is one of the major blessings and miracles of my life- anyone who knows me at all, knows that.

Here we are 16 years of marriage. I love where we are, I love that kinship, the deep bonds, the long conversations, the planning of our daily lives together. I look back and see how much we have changed. We are not those kids that hold a "burning" romance in our hearts. You know how it is. When we were first married I would see older couples and think how sad it was that they weren't like us. Now I am sad that young couples have to wait so long to get where we are. We have our daughter, our friendship, our faith in each other. Here is an example of what I mean....

Yesterday we spent the entire day moving different furniture components around the house. We did this to start making the Nursery a reality. Leslie suggested this and I jumped on board. As the day closed and evening fell, I was standing in the nearly empty office, the almost Nursery and I was holding a quilt that I bought for THIS baby. I hugged that quilt to my chest and I stood there and thought of that baby and I cried a little and I sighed a little and I thought thoughts about my family. Les and Ev happened to be downstairs talking about Chess at the time and I had those few quiet moments. Then it felt as if some things clicked into place. Things got more real. The baby to come, the family that will change, the daughter that will have to share. And I was cool with it. All of it. Then I went down and found Les and he took one look at me and knew where I was, I knew he knew. We spoke volumes in that one look while Ev was kung fu-ing in the back ground.

As we were finishing things up, I turned to Les and said " I am sure glad that you suggested this. I needed to do something concrete and real about this child- not just manky old paperwork" then he said "Oh I know you did".

Just that. Him knowing in his quiet way what I needed that day. That he needed it too. That we were and are equally vested in this life together. That he can gage my emotional state in one look, that he cares to. That, right there is better than all of the conventional thoughts on romance. We had a very romantic evening indeed.

I love that man.