The Maturity of Love
Throughout the past year my love for Mike has definitely grown. This has quite frankly been one of the best years of my life, despite some of our external (outside of the home: work, school, etc) struggles.
So, when the pastor said in his sermon today, Yeah, I just married a couple, and as happy as I am for them, after being married for thirteen years, I know that they will have some days when they wake up and say, “wow, I didn’t know that you felt like that” or they will turn around and say, “ewww…I didn’t know you did that.”
The whole church burst into laughter including Mike, which in turn led me to say, well it’s a good thing that we haven’t had those realizations, especially the “eww” one…
And to my surprise, Mike just starred at me and began to lightly chuckle. The chuckle, I knew as the “should I lie or just turn on the charm, so she shuts up.”
Oh my goodness I couldn’t believe this. I mean, I am a woman fully aware that I am extremely flawed but I couldn’t believe that Mike had an or many “eww” moments with me! As I jabbed him (yes in the middle of church) I started rethinking my actions throughout the year…and all I could come up with (well, the only thing that I will share) was yesterday at the block party. Yesterday, I had been scolded by an older lady at the block party for stealing a free chicken leg. I must explain: Mike had been saying how good the chicken looked, so I cut in line and grabbed a chicken leg with my fingers, no plate, no napkin. Yes, my parents taught me better but I had been feeling so free on that beautiful Brooklyn Saturday. Well, the old lady didn’t care about my freedom, she nearly smacked my hand as she yelled at me about self-serving myself (meanwhile, a guy my age snatched a chicken right under her nose…she was just so focused on me). Also in a corner Mike laughed his butt off, as I walked towards him swelling with embarrassment and a chicken leg in my hand…
Anyhow, right in the middle of church, I laughed with Mike, but in my mind I was thinking that he was such an ingrate, he had an “eww” moment, when I was trying to help him. But I was going to have an “eww” moment too, so I started thinking about all the nasty things that Mike does and unfortunately nothing came to mind: he is cleaner than me, he rarely farts…
And just when I was about to say something…Mike grabbed my hand. Oh here he goes again I thought to myself being his perfect self. I know Mike, I just knew he was going to kiss my hand or hold it close and say something fabulous like but you are perfect just like you are. But he was too late this time. He had already chuckled, I knew the truth: he had an “eww” moment and I didn’t…there was nothing that he could do.
But just then, Mike takes my finger and sticks it up his nose…right in the middle of the pastor’s conclusion sentence. I laughed so hard and screamed Ewww…YOU ARE SO NASTY (disrupting everyone in church and somehow disappointing my mother, who is over ten hours away. But at that point it didn’t matter). Mike just smiled and kissed me on my cheek. And we were even…we both had our “ewww” moments…life could go on as normal…
So, when the pastor said in his sermon today, Yeah, I just married a couple, and as happy as I am for them, after being married for thirteen years, I know that they will have some days when they wake up and say, “wow, I didn’t know that you felt like that” or they will turn around and say, “ewww…I didn’t know you did that.”
The whole church burst into laughter including Mike, which in turn led me to say, well it’s a good thing that we haven’t had those realizations, especially the “eww” one…
And to my surprise, Mike just starred at me and began to lightly chuckle. The chuckle, I knew as the “should I lie or just turn on the charm, so she shuts up.”
Oh my goodness I couldn’t believe this. I mean, I am a woman fully aware that I am extremely flawed but I couldn’t believe that Mike had an or many “eww” moments with me! As I jabbed him (yes in the middle of church) I started rethinking my actions throughout the year…and all I could come up with (well, the only thing that I will share) was yesterday at the block party. Yesterday, I had been scolded by an older lady at the block party for stealing a free chicken leg. I must explain: Mike had been saying how good the chicken looked, so I cut in line and grabbed a chicken leg with my fingers, no plate, no napkin. Yes, my parents taught me better but I had been feeling so free on that beautiful Brooklyn Saturday. Well, the old lady didn’t care about my freedom, she nearly smacked my hand as she yelled at me about self-serving myself (meanwhile, a guy my age snatched a chicken right under her nose…she was just so focused on me). Also in a corner Mike laughed his butt off, as I walked towards him swelling with embarrassment and a chicken leg in my hand…
Anyhow, right in the middle of church, I laughed with Mike, but in my mind I was thinking that he was such an ingrate, he had an “eww” moment, when I was trying to help him. But I was going to have an “eww” moment too, so I started thinking about all the nasty things that Mike does and unfortunately nothing came to mind: he is cleaner than me, he rarely farts…
And just when I was about to say something…Mike grabbed my hand. Oh here he goes again I thought to myself being his perfect self. I know Mike, I just knew he was going to kiss my hand or hold it close and say something fabulous like but you are perfect just like you are. But he was too late this time. He had already chuckled, I knew the truth: he had an “eww” moment and I didn’t…there was nothing that he could do.
But just then, Mike takes my finger and sticks it up his nose…right in the middle of the pastor’s conclusion sentence. I laughed so hard and screamed Ewww…YOU ARE SO NASTY (disrupting everyone in church and somehow disappointing my mother, who is over ten hours away. But at that point it didn’t matter). Mike just smiled and kissed me on my cheek. And we were even…we both had our “ewww” moments…life could go on as normal…
