My Mr. Romance

 

Happy Valentine’s Day! As we celebrate this day, I'm sure many of you are getting flowers or candy, making a romantic dinner, or perhaps just enjoying the day by yourself with maybe a little bit of extra pampering. Then again, maybe it’s just another day.  I don’t think there is any right or wrong way to enjoy this day.

 

This is me and Joe taken a long time ago at the grave of some outlaw in Virginia City, Montana. This is our idea of dressing up and having a portrait taken. Probably the last time we did get a little fancy was on our wedding day. Even then, Joe’s tux was a little rumpled, and I had several bee stings on my feet!  When you think proposals, you picture the guy on his knee with that ring box in his hand or rose petals leading to a romantic dinner table with the ring hidden in the glass of champagne. Joe was sitting on a kitchen counter when he proposed to me, and it was more of a statement than proposal.

Do I wish Joe had more romance in him? Well, I think he couldn't have more romance. When he comes home from work, he showers and puts on his comfies. That’s what we call our sweats or favorite pair of jeans or pj’s we like to put on for evening TV watching or reading. But if I'm feeling blue and need some ice cream, he’ll gladly get dressed and run up to the store for that ice cream. If I get in the mood to rearrange the furniture, he’ll help if I ask, although not necessarily gladly help. There was the one time I managed to get the couch stuck in a doorway, and Joe did not get home until around 2 a.m. from his wedding band gig and laughed until he almost fell down rather than getting extremely upset with me. Now that’s romance!

Then there are times when he’ll turn a picture or knick knack sitting on an end table around to face the wall wondering how long it will take for me to notice, or stick a hanger out from the clothes, knowing full well I hate that. And he always, always catches it when I mispronounce a word or mix up what I want to say. But you know what? That’s romance, too, because we usually have a laugh over it. I say usually because there are those times when absolutely nothing is funny to me. We all have those days, right? But even then, he knows to quietly walk away and leave me to be with myself.

Now I don’t think there is anything wrong with flowers and candy or the proposals to end all proposals. Those create wonderful memories. But somehow my Mr. Romantic knew that ice cream runs and getting couches unstuck out of the doorway were the kinds of memories we would create.  When I wrote my mom’s story in A Life Unplanned, I didn’t realize when I wrote our story, I could have easily used the same title. I felt A Life Time After Time worked well because our life has changed time after time. Even now as we are facing his retirement in a year or two, we have no idea what happens next. We aren't making any specific plans, because every time we do that, the plans change. But I wouldn't change one minute of our life.  It’s been a romance of a lifetime for me, and I can't wait to see where the next chapter will lead.

You know by now what comes next—keep reading, keep writing, and enjoy your day. Thanks for stopping by!