I think it is fairly safe to say that I have been...........interested in romance and love since I was a little girl. I remember getting "married" as a kindergartner to a few boys as a fun little game and wandering around the playground holding hands and stealing jackets as a means of flirting.
Although I only had 3 Ken dolls (one was an amputee, heaven help him) and about 15 Barbie dolls, my favorite dolls were always the ones who got the boyfriend. There was no Ken-boyfriend sharing at my house!
My favorite characters on tv shows were almost always the ones with a boyfriend (Kelly Kapowski, Topanga Lawrence, DJ Tanner, Kelly Taylor, Stacey McGill - give a big whoop if you know all of these!!)
On week nights, I used to lay in my bedroom listening to Delilah (a radio show all about love....is it still on???), recording love songs onto a menagerie of mix tapes.
In my young adult life, I filled my quote book with love poems, quotes, and lyrics that heralded romance.
Many of my favorite movies and songs are still about love.
I have always been fascinated with love. Big sigh.
Perhaps then, because of my romantic naiveness, God found it good to have me wait years before blessing me with my husband and a pretty fantastic love story.
For a person so entranced by the idea of love, its a bit ironic that I had never actually been in it until I met Matt. Matt knew how to woo. He gave good woo.
He wrote me lengthy letters pouring his heart out about why he loved me. He surprised me with flowers and gifts. He planned romantic and creative dates. He wrote songs about me. He took me ice-skating for goodness sakes. Twice.
Now that we have been married 2 1/2 years, the romance has changed a bit. Let's just say that it has been awhile since I have gotten a lengthy letter detailing his love for me!!
Instead, I get a front row seat to see him living it out for me every day.
We did a couples devotional about a week ago that asked us to specify how the other shows his/her love for us. And when it was my turn to share, I didn't say a single thing about flowers or love letters or ice-skating. Instead, I said.....
He changes dirty diapers.
He holds me when I am anxious and overwhelmed.
He still sends me daily text messages to let me know he is thinking of me.
He rubbed my feet when I was 9 months pregnant and swollen to the size of a human blueberry (ala Violet Beauregarde).......AND still called me beautiful.
He lets me speak my mind without judgment.
He spends his spring break to travel 12 hours to see my family for a week.
He shares his dreams with me.
He encourages and believes in me when I don't believe in myself.
He makes me laugh.
He prays for me. He prays with me.
Now that we have our sweet, amazing baby boy, our love story has evolved again. But from what I can tell.........it is only getting better.
So all of that to say that my idea of love and romance has definitely changed over time.
What was once idyllic and obscure.......is now tangible and real.
Sooooooooooooooooooo..................worth the wait :).
Lastly, here are a couple songs that I have been listening to on repeat this last week that reflect my current idea of romance more than any boy band song ever could (still love those boy bands though!)
Rosie Thomas "Guess It May" - shout out to the "Lost" montage!!!
Sam and Ruby "The Here and the Now"
I LOVE to read your posts. As I read through them, I thought, "This one is really good" then moved on to the next and thought the same thing. (I had 3 to read to catch up) I love how your posts tell about you and your life, but they also reveal to us how God is revealing Himself to you in so many ways. I feel I could read your posts as my daily devotions. Your words inspire me!! Love it! (Any thoughts of writing a devotional book?)
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