I Get It

Last night I posted this photo on Instagram and Facebook...

After they finished playing Play-Doh, and as I was finishing cleaning up supper dishes (Bill lovingly made us supper last night), Bre said, "Papa, dance with Mommy like at a wedding."

I turn on Pandora, and 'Marry Me' by Train was on.

Mid-way through the song she decided Bill needed to dance with her, so off they went -  twirling, spinning, and 'dipping' around the kitchen and living room.

My caption included, "Moments like this remind me how far our lives have come, for the better, this past year. #BestPapaAndHusbandAnyoneCouldEverAskFor".

The above statement is so simple, but filled with so much truth.

One of my really good friends posted the following message to my wall after seeing my posting:

I love how much what you have is like what we have. It makes me feel a sense of reality and community. For a long time I had a lot of people almost making me ashamed of our happiness....but seeing someone else who so openly rejoices in the blessings GOD has bestowed....Well, you and me are friends in a way so few are. I can't wait to keep reading the rest of your story and I love that I know for a fact you are reading mine!

Why is there such a social stigma on celebrating happiness?  On honoring your spouse through public praise? Or taking a moment each day to state the blessings in your life that you are thankful for?  Or for men: Oh, you admitted on social media that you love your family, so you must have lost your man card.

I have friends who take part in the social media mime of writing out what they are thankful for the entire month of November, and then I have other friends who complain about reading and then subsequently state that they are thankful that the month is over so that they don't have to read 'thankful' posts anymore.

I find that ironic.

Today I read the following blog post about honoring your spouse.

For years I chronicled the few and far between 'good days' in an attempt to hide the not-so-good.  I was also one of those people who didn't understand the depth of why those few people I knew that have a life filled with exuberant love and joy chose to share it so much.  

I didn't understand it because I wasn't experiencing it in my life.

I often thought:

Why would you post you love your spouse on Facebook when they are sitting in the same room as you?  

I was critical and judgmental of them.  Often wondering if they were hiding something.  I was, so they had to be also.

Except they weren't.  They were just really that happy and in love with their lives.

I get it now.

E's mom, D, and I had one of the best conversations, last year, about love, marriage, and commitment that I've ever had.  

Within the first few months of dating Bill, I finally understood what D's heart and words had said to me.  And I will forever be grateful for that conversation.

I get it now.

I get it because I am so lucky to be living it.

I understand the desire to honor your spouse in words, actions, prayer, and love.

And just as importantly, I also understand what a blessing it is to have a spouse that gives honor.

Those kind of blessings....they deserve recognition.

In any form in which you choose.

Over the past year I've come to understand that life is far too short to not live in and celebrate happiness.