Sappy Sap!

Forgive me, but right now, I'm a total sap. A mushy mush sappy sap. Ok...ya can't say I didn't warn ya...

I am in love. And it happened in the most unconventional, unexpected way.

Today, he said something so sweet and perfect. In that moment, everything just clicked. He was teasing me about something (oh how he loves to tease me), and he said that I was tender. I said, "Tender?" I had no idea what he was talking about. He said, "Sensitive," and grinned.

I know that I'm sensitive. Too sensitive. I care way too much about other people. It's a fault of mine, and one that's been pointed out to me countless times so I said, "Oh...yeah, I'm too sensitive. I know, I know...it's a fault..." And he said, "Aw no, it's what endeared me to you. You think with your heart and not your head. I love that about you."

And that's it, isn't it? That's love. When someone loves your faults. Not just that they love your faults, though, but that they love you for your faults, because of them not in spite of. And it hit me. This is good. This is something I've never experienced before. And I love that I'm learning new things about relationships. I hope I always do.

There are little things that fit together with us. We like the same things. That's what my mom always told me, that was her big advice. Just find someone that you have fun with, someone who likes to do the same things you do. She said that she and my stepfather both love going to see plays and movies and traveling. They do have a lot of fun together. And really, it's good advice. If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with someone, it's gonna be a blast.

So we like to do the same things. We share the same politics and values. We both love to drink in the sunshine and be surrounded by all of our friends. We like the same music. We're big cuddle bunnies and total goofballs.

And he gets me. He knows me better than I know myself, and to the point that I'm not sure I really knew the meaning of that phrase before now. But I think it means that he reads me better than I read myself sometimes. I have a very readable face, people can always see something on my face and they think that's the whole picture. It's my biggest pet peeve when someone thinks they know me, and I know they're way off.

He's almost always on. That makes what he said mean so much more. He knows me inside and out - better than almost anyone - and he still loves me. He sees all the good and the bad, the big and the little, all the dirt and mess I hide so well - and he even loves that.

And another thing. I take good care of him; as liberal as I am I'm still a bit attached to traditional gender roles. I love to cook, and frankly, I'm good at it. I do little things for him to let him know I care, and I love to pamper him.

We spent last night at a mountain house his parents have (they weren't there). This morning, I climbed out of bed quietly so that I could let him sleep in. I took a shower, made some coffee and started working. After awhile, I woke him up. He took a shower, turned on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and moseyed around. Before I could even look up from what I was reading, there were two Eggo waffles in front of me. And my coffee cup was refilled. He is so good to me in big ways and small. And it's the small things that sometimes matter most of all.

We have fun together, and we take care of each other. This is what "together" is really all about. And I'm finally learning that. Yay! :)

(hee hee...ok...sappy sap is doney done...)