Sue and I and all you lovely ladies in DomestiGal Land are so lucky to have with us today the lovely Bekah from Country Mouse. Bekah is one of the funniest, fabulousest, most genuine gals we know (via the blogosphere, obv). Her photos are gorge, her house is adorable, and her hubby is the cutest! And if you have any doubt about that, ladies, read on...
Slow dancing amongst the paperbacks
I am not romantic by nature. I played cowboys and Indians as a child, I didn't dream about meeting Prince Charming or falling in love. I really just wanted to live it up, be myself, and play in the mud.
When I started dating my husband I was immediately wary of how romantic he seemed to be. Any man that remembers that ONCE three years ago you mentioned that you love chicken stir-fry and actually makes it himself for your first date is up to something right? I had never been treated the way he treated me, and I wondered what his deal was. I just kept waiting for him to reveal his true nature, to catch a glimpse of what he was really up to, basically I was waiting for him to fail.
Months went by and he still hadn't shown what I thought must be his true colors. I just KNEW this guy had some sort of end game, I mean, that's what men do right? But as much as I couldn't figure him out, I also couldn't get enough of him. I would warn myself repeatedly not to fall too hard for this guy, but then he would wrap his strong arms around me and I'd find myself falling harder and faster with each and every kiss.
Eventually I came to trust his sweet nature, I let myself believe that he simply acted on his impulses and I even came to like it, but sometimes his wildly romantic displays embarrassed me.
We used to go to Border's bookstore on wintery nights, get coffee and browse the bookshelves together. One night while we were still dating we were sipping our coffees and flipping through paperbacks Surgery by Joe Purdy started playing. Surgery had come to represent a little of our relationship, and we both liked the song. He came over to me, took my drink and put in on a shelf, and started slowdancing in the aisle with me. Right there in the bookstore! I was mortified. I pulled myself away, grabbed my coffee, and took off for the women's health section (where I knew he wouldn't follow).
Later that night I called my mom just to chat. I explained the dancing situation and how I just felt so silly when he danced with me and no one else was dancing. 'Mom' I whined, 'He's just SO romantic sometimes, it sounds cute to other people, but it embarrasses me! He was dancing with me in a bookstore!'
'Bekah' she said, 'Take the time to dance. That option might not always be there. I wish I had danced with your father more.' I was speechless. My parents have been divorced for over 15 years. They are both remarried and love their spouses dearly, but both will say that they consider their failed marriage to be one of their greatest regrets.
I always thought there was some mystic formula that kept great couples together. Sure I had heard people say it's all about making that commitment to each other and sticking to it, but could it really be that simple? There had to be more right? Maybe we muddy it up with our predisposed opinions on what real romance SHOULD be, or how we should act. I lost a good chance with dance with the man I would marry because I was embarrassed that the other people in the bookstore would think we were silly.
Could romance really be as easy as dancing amongst the paperbacks? Of course not, but I still feel unbelievably close to my husband when he holds me in his arms, and slowly sways with me to the music. Do I still feel embarrassed sometimes? Oh you bet, and we generally keep our dancing to our own home. But I know that I will cherish those moments with him for the rest of my life, and when we don’t have time to dance, I will be able to think back on these days and remember that feeling. Sometimes, it's just worth it to step out of your comfort zone to find new comfort in someone's arms.
Word. Thank you for this a to the mazing post, Bekah!
Be sure to check out Bekah's blog here.
xoxo,
Slow-Dancing Sue and Jump-Jivin' Jen
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