The Thing They Didn't Tell Me About...Romance
Thirteen years ago, when I was on the cusp of getting married to my husband I would have told you that romance was him driving 8 hours after a full day of work to visit me for less than 24 hours. I would have told you romance was a card sent in the mail for no reason, just because he loved me and wanted me to know. I would have said romance was roses and surprise trips and even gifts for no reason. I would have been caught up in the "romantic" notion of love that all of us girls are at some time while we are growing up in the world of Disney princesses, big dresses, big weddings and diamonds.
Fast forward to thirteen years of being married and although all of those things are nice and some of them are even very thoughtful and boy do I love a great surprise, romance has taken on an entirely different meaning in our relationship. One thing no one told me about romance was that...it changes. Romance takes on a completely different meaning after years of being in a relationship and depending on each other. Romance is much less important than it was in the early days yet it has such a deeper meaning the further we get into this relationship. Read on and I will tell you exactly what I mean.
As I tried to time dinner so that the pork chops would be seared and ready to take off the stove approximately three minutes before the noodles were done and the potatoes were to come out of the oven and about the time Jon would return from walking the dog, I was feeling the pressure. Our son has to be fed and ready to go to archery practice and our daughter was playing outside with a neighbor friend. I hate serving dinner cold, it just feels like all the time is wasted if everyone isn't there to eat it hot right when it is finished being cooked.
He walks in with the dog and says,
"Smells great in here babe!" Which put a big smile on my face instantly. He complimented my hard work and effort. He complimented my dinner choice and my food. (That sure makes it easier to take on the burden of cooking for everyone each night in my book!) Grown up Romance.
After we all ate dinner and he refused to even mention that the meat was a little dry and the potatoes were lacking the flavor I so desperately had tried to infuse into them, I headed down stairs to finish folding that last load of clothes for the evening. Grown up Romance. While I was down there, noticing that it was an entire load of his stuff pretty much, I hear our son stomping down the steps and saying loudly,
"Special delivery for Amy_______." I turn my head and he delivers me a purple balloon flower with a note written in sharpie on the side that says,
"To Amy, Thanks for dinner. Love, Jon"
Roses are nice. Candles are too. But who wants those things when you've got your very own clown to make you your very own balloon animals with special love notes written right upon them to let you know how much you are appreciated? Not this girl, that's for sure.
Fast forward to thirteen years of being married and although all of those things are nice and some of them are even very thoughtful and boy do I love a great surprise, romance has taken on an entirely different meaning in our relationship. One thing no one told me about romance was that...it changes. Romance takes on a completely different meaning after years of being in a relationship and depending on each other. Romance is much less important than it was in the early days yet it has such a deeper meaning the further we get into this relationship. Read on and I will tell you exactly what I mean.
As I tried to time dinner so that the pork chops would be seared and ready to take off the stove approximately three minutes before the noodles were done and the potatoes were to come out of the oven and about the time Jon would return from walking the dog, I was feeling the pressure. Our son has to be fed and ready to go to archery practice and our daughter was playing outside with a neighbor friend. I hate serving dinner cold, it just feels like all the time is wasted if everyone isn't there to eat it hot right when it is finished being cooked.
He walks in with the dog and says,
"Smells great in here babe!" Which put a big smile on my face instantly. He complimented my hard work and effort. He complimented my dinner choice and my food. (That sure makes it easier to take on the burden of cooking for everyone each night in my book!) Grown up Romance.
After we all ate dinner and he refused to even mention that the meat was a little dry and the potatoes were lacking the flavor I so desperately had tried to infuse into them, I headed down stairs to finish folding that last load of clothes for the evening. Grown up Romance. While I was down there, noticing that it was an entire load of his stuff pretty much, I hear our son stomping down the steps and saying loudly,
"Special delivery for Amy_______." I turn my head and he delivers me a purple balloon flower with a note written in sharpie on the side that says,
"To Amy, Thanks for dinner. Love, Jon"
Roses are nice. Candles are too. But who wants those things when you've got your very own clown to make you your very own balloon animals with special love notes written right upon them to let you know how much you are appreciated? Not this girl, that's for sure.
 |
| Grown up Romance |
Comments
Post a Comment