Romancing the Housewife

So I have a new role model, Stephanie Nielson (WATCH this video. You will not be disappointed). In my first post, I talked about how she inspired the creation of this blog. I was fascinated, while skipping through her blog, with the relationship she has with her husband. After reading about all of the wonderful, thoughtful, romantic things he does for her on a consistent basis, I thought 'man, is she lucky! What a hunk!' No wonder she referred to him as her own "Mr. Darcy".

Then, after pushing away those thoughts that always seem to come, always trying to pin the blame of a less-than-perfect situation on someone else, I had a thought. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Nielson is so incredible is because that is the way his Mrs. chooses to see him.

How many times have I kept myself from seeing the knight in shining armor because I was focusing on the mud he tracked in? So, I add something new to my growing list of ways to be like Nie Nie: I want to be so blind-sighted by that stunning armor that I don't even think to look for mud. Or, more simply put, I want to focus on the good.

Somewhere in between middle school misfit and haggered housewife I seem to have lost the hopeless romantic that use to be me. Well, that's no fun! I spend all those years dreaming and wishing and hoping; now I have a real, live dreamboat and I'm not even paying attention! So, I'm going to be better about that. Let me start with a list of things I super-duper appreciate/love about my man:

1. He gets up every morning when the Bug wakes up. He never complains, he just slips out of bed and lets me sleep.
2. He tells me I'm beautiful, and means it, on days when I'm feeling particularly frumpy.
3. After dinner he says "You've really outdone yourself this time," no matter how the meal tastes.
4. He calls from work everyday at lunch to say hello, and asks "what can I do for you?"
5. He busts his buns to get home in time for dinner every day, because he knows it's really important to me.
6. He tries so hard to do what he thinks I want him to do, when what I want him to do changes constantly.
7. He sings 'Old Man River' to the Bug when he puts him to sleep.
8. He lets me use his toothbrush.
9. He never complains.
10. He never talks bad about people.
11. He remembers everyone's name.

I'm a little rusty. You just wait. One day soon someone's gonna read this blog and think, 'man is she lucky! What a hunk!' And they would be right. Love you Babe.


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How to be like StephaNIE

I have been reading Stephanie Nielson's blog the past few days. A few years worth, in fact. She is so inspiring. She has so much faith and hope and love for life. With burns over 83% of her body from the airplane crash, she is happier and more at peace with her life than I am. This is not something that came with the crash--she had it before, too. Looking back at her older posts, she was filled with love for her husband, she took time to enjoy the little moments; she was so creative. She had a love for herself and her life and everything around her that was real. I want that. I am constantly comparing myself to other people, wishing that a part of their life was mine, longing to be different than I am. But as I look at my life, it is so, so good. It is me who needs to change, and I want it desperately. I am my own person. I have been so afraid of living life 'wrong' (and, shamefully, judging others for doing so), that I have kept myself from enjoying life. God wants me to be happy. In fact, he has commanded me to be. Of course I must do so within the laws He has set, but I am starting to realize that the things I thought were His laws are really limitations I have put on myself.

I am ready to find me. Inside there is a beautiful, powerful, creative, loving goddess that is aching to be free. I am ready to begin that quest. There are people who need me. There are roles that I can fill better than anyone else. I am ready to recognize and be comfortable with my talents. I am going to let the 'laundry list' go sometimes and enjoy the beauties of life. I am going to take pictures of the mister and I kissing. And darn it, I'm going to be happy!

Here are some things I am going to do to be more like Nie Nie:

-Stop comparing myself to other people

-Stop incessantly worrying about what anyone but God thinks of me

-Add more color (literally) to my life

Go me.

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