The month of April tends to make me nostalgic because Classic Old Spice and I went on our first date on April 4, 2002 and became engaged on April 16, 2004. Without ever realizing the connection in the past, I tend to really relish in my luck at what a catch I have caught in the spring as the flowers start to bud and the air lightens a bit. So I begin this latest entry with a bit of a disclaimer – it is going to be a mushy, heartfelt ode to the most amazing man I have ever met. If this tends to nauseate you, well, I have given you fair warning. I will write more tomorrow so be sure to check-in.
I met my darling dear about one year after the most emotional year of my life – I had just finalized the proceedings of a yearlong divorce that rocked my world, my father passed away very unexpectedly, and I had an emotional roller-coaster ride with a lot of debt my ex left with me on top of a guy I was dating who was not the most emotionally stable of the bunch (not that I was at this time either but still…) The first evening we spoke on the phone we talked for three hours – how do you talk to anyone you have never met for three whole hours!? He envisioned me as a brunette with dark eyes and my scratchy voice led him to believe I was a bit of a smoker (not so). We had a great time chatting and of course were eager to meet one another so we went out the next night to a charming Italian restaurant in an old Victorian house in the neighborhood we would eventually inhabit two years later. To say he charmed me would be putting it mildly – in fact, I was not sure he was really for real. For starters, the man is drop-dead gorgeous and melted me with his dark brown peepers and that dimple that is so notorious that I have written about it in the past. This will continue at least for one more generation because Bubba Boo is the spitting image of his daddy with both the eyes and dimple to prove it…When the time comes for Bubba Boo to knock an unsuspecting young lady on her feet, I will know EXACTLY how she feels and can simply bond with her over this heart-in-your-throat-but-still-must-remain-cool feeling. Unfortunately, he was also in the midst of a divorce which led me to believe that he might need some more time in the emotional recovery oven before we could actually have a healthy relationship. It did take some time and some bumps along the way but we made it through and were married in July 2004. Now, after six years and 2.5 children later, I find it difficult to put into words the realization one acquires when you suddenly learn that there is a human on this earth that actually knows you better than you know yourself. It is incredibly frightening as this person of course holds a lot of emotional power over you but alas, I thank God I took the risk because who else would pass over, without a word, the curled tortilla chips that I love so much out of the basket at El Rodeo? Who else simply chuckles when he looks for something under the couch and comes up with three, half-filled water bottles or finds one in the shower, or lodged in a toy bin in the play room (yes, I know this is not an ecologically-sound practice but I lose my water bottles throughout my days and let’s just say I am working on it)? It is these human foibles and idosyncracies that make us who we are and make us real. Most of them are not revealed until you have lived with someone for a while as they are an essence of your character and while we can hide them while dating, it is a whole new ballgame when you live under the same roof. I will never reveal my husband’s own quirky quirks in a forum such as this but let’s just say he has his fair share as well. Though sometimes irritating, the man possesses an uncanny ability to know what is going through my mind before even I do and can anticipate my every move. While this might sound somewhat dull to live this way, I find it incredibly safe and comforting as I know he loves me for who I am right now – not yesterday or in the future, but who stands before him right now. He encourages me to grow and stretch beyond myself more than any other person I have ever encountered and has even sat next to me in a therapy session with tear-filled eyes as I have dished some painful episodes of a life well-lived but with plenty of ups and downs. He is the man I want my children to revere, he is the one I want beside me for the rest of time, and luckily, he is the man that still makes my heart skip a beat when he comes home at the end of the day. The fact that he has one of the best buttocks I have ever seen makes me feel even more blessed…
Now before you feel you are about to get sick, let me put out there that there are certainly days that I would like to scratch his eyes out and most definitely, he would like to do the same to me. We are intensely passionate people and can have a doozy of an argument that would scare even Donald Trump. I say this because in no way do we have a perfect marriage – no one does. But I am in it for the long-haul no matter what and, hoping that I am correct in saying this, I think he is right there with me. Happy Spring, Classic Old Spice. I love you more than I could ever let you know or write with words. You are my rock, my home, my true north.