I've had a bad day. I have cried four times already which, to be fair, ain't hardly a record for a weepy lady like myself. I've just been running hard into my own shortcomings all day; an inability to just DEAL when things get tough, a propensity for projecting my own personal failures onto others, being a bad friend, losing my emotional shit in front of my daughter. In short (and we all have these days), all I could think of was Laney going to bed so I could crawl under the covers and cry to my heart's content. With a whiskey.
But when I came home, there was a Valentine's card and candy from Don who had also left a lovely quiche in the fridge so I didn't have to make dinner. I was pulled from the abyss in just the nick of time.
But I still cried again because (a) I am a weepy lady and was touched and grateful and (b) I felt like a big old jerk for not getting Don anything for V-Day.
So, I'm going to give him a public Valentine and tell the little corner of the world that reads this shitty blog six things that I really like about Don (this is by no means an exhaustive list):
1) Don is strong, the kind of strong that never needs to prove it. When I left to make my way in the world, my mother told me that there are two kinds of men: men who like women and men who don't like women and that this has nothing to do with their sexuality. I think this is true. Don is one of those guys who doesn't act like hanging out with me or my women friends is an onerous chore that he is obliged to endure. He can hang quite comfortably with the double-x-ed. Which has the happy effect of making him seem so much manlier, so sexy!
2) Speaking of which, he knows *how* to like me as a woman, if you know I mean (wink wink nudge nudge... you get me, right? Because I'm being pretty obvious here)
3) He's funny. Really funny. He tickles me after all these years. He has this way of being explosive and hilarious and making me laugh in that way that makes my stomach hurt a little.
4) He's so thoughtful. Even after all these years he can surprise me with the breadth of his kindness and the depth of his perspicacity.
5) He's a good father in a million ways, but for this blog I'm going to focus on how he respects Laney. He doesn't look at her as an adorable little extension of himself or me, as a future person. Don knows that Laney is her own person and deserves to be treated as such. This is going to go a long way in helping Laney to find a good partner of her own when the time comes. I know the way my father treated me went a long way in helping me to wait until I found a man like Don.
6) He keeps himself open to new experience and to the potential for change. The world is still such an exciting place to him. I don't get why anyone wants to jump in Lake Michigan in January. But, god, I love that Don does.
So, my darling, my love, Happy Valentine's Day. I thought I'd tell the world at large what a great guy you are, although, really, if they've met you they probably already know.
