Things that make you go Hmm!

I loved the comment yesterday about longevity in relationships. Congrats on 8 and 1/2 years! It's awesome to still be excited about seeing your partner at the end of each day and to crave the quality time alone together. Angela and I always say we are the other's favorite person and if we go too long without quality time because of our jobs or family obligations or whatever, we have major withdrawls. I guess the withdrawls are good cuz they make the time we do get to spend together that much sweeter. Anniversaries are a great time to reflect on that.

When Angela and I first met I was a total freak. I don't think I was all that comfortable with myself yet, so I really had issues with the idea that I could possibly fall in love with this person. The thought scared me. I had been in one other lengthy relationship (a year and a half) and I had dated after that, but the potential permanence with Angela made me a complete loon. One night after we had been to the movies I was dropping her off at her apartment, and right before she got out of the car I spontaneously burst into tears, couldn't really put words together, and pretty much made a complete fool of myself. It wasn't like we had a disastrous date or anything. I just freaked out.

Naturally it concerned her to see this much blubbering after things had been fine only a few minutes before, so she asked what was wrong and all I could come up with was, "I don't know." She asked if it was because I didn't want to see her anymore and I said that definitely wasn't it. I was just an emotional mess. Thankfully, she stuck with me despite the emotional roller coaster and we moved on. Now that I've become a whole lot more comfortable in my own skin I can look back and realize that there was a lot going on internally with me at that point, and that it was an isolated moment of temporary insanity. Well, there was one other moment of temporary insanity in 2002 that perhaps I'll blog about at some point. But I'm done with being insane now.

Angela is the coolest, most generous person I know. And she can handle anything. If something breaks she can fix it, if someone needs help she will offer it, and if I have a moment of PMS-induced paranoia she can talk sense into me and bring me back to reality. I can't tell you how many times I've been worried about something to the point of irrationality, and she has calmly given me a hundred reasons why things would turn out okay. And they always do. She's truly my better half.

And her little quirks are fun and infectious. She says, "Hmm!" in a silly high pitch constantly, usually after she learns of some good news and gets excited. It's so addictive. Our friends have started doing it now. If you hear someone shout "Hmm!" in the office this afternoon after you land some big account or something, remember where it came from. If you find out your bonus check is going to be huge you can add a couple of hmm's and drag out the last one. Hmm hmm hmmmmmm!

The seven years that we've been together have flown by. We have lots of ideas about what we might want to do in the future, but for right now it's nice just to appreciate the moment. The moment may include some margaritas this weekend. And we may go to Kathleen's Art Cafe in Plano. The Dallas location has always been sort of a special place for us and a friend told us about the new Plano location so we have to try it. Sunday we're going to church to celebrate with God. God is definitely the reason we've made it this far. Hmm hmm hmmmmmm!