romantic – Sweat & Sparkle

My husband was flipping through TV channels last night and randomly landed on a music channel playing 80s videos. As soon as I heard the song, I melted. I told my husband, “Oh, this song was my first dance, back in middle school.”

He stood up immediately, which I wasn’t expecting. He smiled, reaching his arms out to me. We slow-danced in the middle of the living room, singing along, laughing as we remembered those awkward gym dances so long ago. I rested my head on his chest, and he kissed the top of my head.

I can’t remember the last name of the boy I danced with almost 40 years ago in that middle school gym. But I remember his face, his nervousness, the song, where we were in the gym, the excited butterflies I felt.

What a beautiful, nostalgic experience to slow dance to that same song, decades later, with my husband, in the living room of our home. Wherever that middle school boy is now, I hope he also found love, happiness, and his own lifelong dance partner.

All in the Same Person

Lover. Best friend. Partner in crime. Confidant.

My favorite person.

My husband.

My everything.

Our Time

So true! My husband and I have been together nearly two decades, but we still hold hands, snuggle, kiss hello, and text each other all day long like teenagers. We had to walk through fire and go to battle for our love, and because of that, we value our relationship and each other even more.

We also have the opposite extreme to compare it to, having spent far too long with people who had (and still have) no clue whatsoever what real love is. They will never know what it feels like to have what we have, and that actually makes me a little sad for them.

I am grateful that we found each other. Anything we went through over the past 19+ years was worth it, to have a true partner and best friend in my corner and in my life, in my arms, in my heart. I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

Yes, it’s our time. Time to fully enjoy each day, plan trips, revel in quiet moments, build even more memories together. No matter how long we have been together, you see, we still have time to make up for.

Sunsets

I am not a summer person. At all. I would rather bundle up in a coat than sweat just walking to my car. Sweaters, blankets, boots, fireplaces, hot tea, chilly evenings…that is what I live for.

The beach is hot. There’s sand everywhere. Did I mention it’s hot? I don’t even usually like water all that much.

So why do I love going to the beach with my husband? He made a comment recently that maybe I go mostly to make him happy.

It’s true, I rarely went to the beach before I met my husband. For years, he and I took the kids there, and I helped build sand castles and watched them play in the water, and I took pictures we could enjoy later. My husband and I never took trips just for the two of us–we always planned them so the kids could go with us.

A few years ago, when we started planning a weekend trip, it was so odd knowing that it was going to be just us two, now that the kids are older. The idea of going to the beach came up, and it seemed like such a novel idea. What ever would we do with ourselves, without four kids to keep up with?

We figured it out pretty quickly. We practically ran from our room down to the beach, and soon we were floating blissfully in the water, the warmth of the sun kissing our shoulders and faces, a gentle breeze dancing across the water, and we were hooked. Jumping in the waves, laughing as the tide tries to carry me off, lazily drying off in beach chairs, listening to the waves, heading out to dinner later, exploring…I love all of it.

A weekend beach trip here and there has become something we look forward to every summer now. And my husband has it wrong: I don’t go simply to make him happy. I may not enjoy summer, or being hot, or sand getting everywhere, but when I am with him, it’s just different. It’s fun. It’s relaxing. It’s magical. Because he is with me, and it is our thing, our time together, something we love doing together.

We have another trip coming up soon, and I have already been exploring new places to check out next year. I like the idea of creating experiences, not just buying stuff. Building memories, seeing new places with each other, walking or driving around to see what is over there, what can we get into here?

Ending the day on the beach to watch the sunset has become our thing, too. No matter how many we have watched together, each one is still exciting and beautiful.

So sure, I will be thrilled when the temperature drops, when we need to stack firewood beside the fireplace, when I pull down sweaters from the top shelf of the closet, when the air is crisp and cool and energizing. But for now, if we absolutely have to endure summers, then I will just keep browsing beach websites, checking out hotels and resorts, and shopping for dresses to wear to dinner after our beach day. I will look forward to our next weekend getaway and enjoy all of the pictures from our last one.

For me, it isn’t just the beach itself that I love so much. It’s beautiful, sure, but it’s what it all makes me think of that makes me smile. I see waves and remember how much fun we have jumping in them. I hear those waves crash and feel the peace and tranquility of sitting beside him, chatting, dozing, so relaxed. I see sand and think of walking down the beach, holding hands, picking up shells, waiting for one more sunset.

We have so many memories at the beach now that I love it for one simple, powerful reason: because it’s a place I love sharing with him. I love our framed photos from our beach walks, knowing each one is a piece of our experiences together that no one else has. Just us. And I love the idea of collecting even more together: more memories, more smiles, more shells, more pictures, and always…more sunsets.