Soul Mates and Romance...

I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately. Our culture is flooded with ideas of love... some accurate, but so much seems ultra idealistic and mostly fabricated.

I bought into it... and I still do sometimes. David could be very thoughtful and 'romantic' at times during our 'courtship', but within a few weeks of getting married I was forced to come to terms with the fact that he isn't naturally this way.

There is so much to say on this topic... so this is simply off the top of my head at the moment. But here's what ROMANCE looked like in our home tonight.

I guess when you think of a 'romantic dinner'... you think of a cozy setting for two, candlelight and some inspiring love songs. But let me give you a glimpse of a REAL romantic dinner.

It had been a long day... I was on the couch with my feet propped up and was incapable, or perhaps just unwilling to move. My darling husband wisked both kids into the kitchen, fixed dinner for them and fed them. By the time I made it off the couch and got a plate for myself... he cleaned the kids up and took them outside to play so I could have a peaceful dinner by myself. No choking down my food to answer Doodle's 100 questions in 5 minutes (which I typically don't mind... but everyone has their limits). No getting up and down 10 times before I was able to take one bite. Not to mention the fact that I actually got to finish eating before it was totally cold. It was wonderful. Peaceful. Exactly what I needed tonight.

Now, we don't make a habit of such eating patterns, but sometimes frozen pizza and pancakes is the best you can do. As I sat there eating on the couch... alone... all I could think of was "How Romantic!"

That was true, thoughtful, self sacrificing love tonight. He was meeting my most desperate need 'a few minutes of peace and quiet'... I felt truly loved and cared for. True romance.

Now, some people might be thinking "Poor girl, she's really lowered her standards of romance." But I'd say the opposite is true. If you're in a relationship... or searching for your 'soulmate'... why not think into the future a bit? Past the surprise getaways and gifts. Past the diamond ring and the dream wedding.

What will true love and romance look like in the years to come? What kind of man is he becoming? Will he love me with swollen feet and dark circles under my eyes? What kind of woman am I? Do I expect constant adoration and attention... or will I have the eyes to see his love for me when it doesn't come in the ways I expect? When I have to remind him that I actually love to receive flowers? Or when he takes the trash out... or tries to tell me random jokes that he heard that day.

You can find a beautiful diamond ring just about anywhere... but true love is tough to find.