You know how they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder? I feel like that same saying can be applied to romance. I was chatting with a friend recently and we talked about how my husband had sent me roses at work. (He has never done this and has only sent me flowers a handful of times in our almost 20 years together). She was cooing over how romantic it was, and she said how lucky I am to have such a romantic husband. That made me think that I would never really consider my husband romantic.
He doesn't give me sweet talk, or sing songs to me (he plays guitar), or put on a show when we're with friends. He doesn't like a lot of attention and other than holding my hand in public, that's about as romantic as he gets...
But...I started to think that I don't really want a guy who writes me songs (I had that once and I felt so awkward when he sang to me). I don't want poetry, or all the things that are typically considered "romantic" because I have my guy who is romantic in other ways. Ways that I didn't realize were romantic when we were younger.
I had back pain a lot after having our youngest, and writing in our bed was making it worse. So he bought me a desk that folds down and can fit in our room. He doesn't love the amount of books I have, but he built some amazing bookshelves for me. I look back at all of the things he's built or done for me, and while building an Ikea desk may not shout "romance!" to most, it absolutely does to me. It meant he listened when I'd complain about my back, and he cared enough to help me out.
So circling back to those roses...when I thanked him for the roses, he literally said, "Oh were they roses?" I said, "Uh yes?" He replied, "I just saw that they were your favorite color." I mean, such a clueless comment...but he knows my favorite color. And the roses are beautiful.
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She needs rest, he needs relaxation…
Jenny Travers wants a fresh start. Leaving the nightmares of her past behind her, she heads to Last Chance Beach. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds peaceful and relaxing, which is exactly what she needs.
What she doesn’t need is a man.
Lieutenant Commander Scott Gordon was injured by an IED on his last mission, and while his leg has healed, it’ll never be strong enough to stay on his SEAL team. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds like the perfect place to figure out how he’s going to handle his new normal.
He never expected to find a woman in his bed.
A mix-up at the rental agency means Jenny and Scott are both renting the small cottage. Sharing a space with a stranger should be hard, yet they both feel more at peace than they have in months.
Will their summer romance last, or is the magic of Sea Glass Cottage all they’ll have…
I think your husband has romance down pat, wouldn't you? Beautiful flowers and a wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteWell, this is real love and appreciation. We don’t need all those gestures some people consider romantic...we need men who listen and care enough to care FOR us. What you have there, Laurie is a man with a capital M. This post had me smiling all the way through. And I loved Dreams of the Past!
ReplyDeleteAww thanks, Bonnie. :) I figure it's similar to love languages right?
DeleteI agree! Romance doesn't have to mean roses and champagne and writing poetry. My husband isn't traditionally romantic either, but he's done some of the most romantic stuff ever for me! Truly thoughtful stuff. Things he gets huge bonus points for!! Treasure your man and the little things he does for you!
ReplyDeleteMaybe we could redefine romance as thoughtfulness?
DeleteSuch a sweet post, Laura! I agree with you...true love doesn't have to be loud or over-the-top. Listening, helping, caring, a cup of coffee just the way you like it each morning, a folding desk, and your flowers...💕
ReplyDeleteThe cup of coffee really is such a little thing that can mean so much!
DeleteMy hubby isn't overtly romantic, but he occasionally surprises me with flowers or a rose bush for our garden. However, he shows in a million ways how much he loves me. For instance, he may give me a bouquet for our anniversary and will say, "These flowers are for you and so is my undying love." *sigh* I'm so lucky to be married to him.
ReplyDeleteI think it's like our love languages-they can be so individual to each of us.
DeleteWhat a great husband. He probably never thought about kind of flower just ones you'd like. And he took care of you too when you were in bed, Yes, he for sure is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nora! I think I'll keep him around ;)
DeleteWhat a great husband. He probably never thought about kind of flower just ones you'd like. And he took care of you too when you were in bed, Yes, he for sure is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteA guy who listens is truly romantic! And since flowers from him are not a regular gesture, how special.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head. It's the fact that he listened to me, you know?
DeleteLike many of yours, my husband would not be considered romantic. In the slightest. But, like you, I've been gifted with someone who does love and care for me and shows me in so many ways. For instance, these days I'm up in the middle of the night with our older cat, who requires attention--not like medically, she just prefers that I be up whenever she is up and she's decided in her old age not to be quiet about it ;) . Knowing this, my hubby sneakily makes a bed for me on the couch each night with the sheets turned down, and even chocolate on the pillow at first, (but I kept falling asleep on top of it and melting it!). He knows which towels I prefer, so he uses the other ones. When there's a hockey game on, he gets my area all set up for me. We work out in our basement so he has to pull rugs over, move chairs into their correct position (one for me, one for the cat), and make sure my St. Louis Blues blanket is out (if we're in the playoffs, add rally towels!) And every once in a while he'll go for the big gesture. On my birthday this year he gave me a very expensive camera. I've been wanting a good one for a long time, but never really thought I'd own one. Someone else mentioned bonus points--he'll be living off those bonus points for a long time! Thanks for sharing your story and reminding people that, although we write some pretty romantic scenes, we still understand what real love is all about!
ReplyDeleteHe sounds like a keeper! :) Go Blues (my second fave team! lol)
DeleteYes, I think those things are very romantic. I saw a joke that said something about a man looking his sexiest when he's vacuuming, which is sort of the same thing. Mine empties the dishwasher and puts the sheets on the bed, two things which I hate to do for some reason. He gives me flowers for my birthday, mother's day, etc. Then again, I wouldn't mind a little chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI hate putting sheets on the bed too! lol I agree! A man vacuuming is sexy as all get out!
ReplyDelete