Day 9: Feeling Loved

Not sure how many of you spend time with elderly parents. If you know me well you know over my years I've been blessed to have a lot of parents! I know one should only have two, but in my case there have been more then that with all the marriages, divorces, and re-marriages.

Pictured here is Papa Jack with his six grandchildren.

Today I spent time with Papa Jack. He's pushing 83 now. Time has worn his face, his memory, but not his love for me. He brags to the waiter at the restaurant about how I just ran the marathon. He tells me how beautiful I am, how fantastic my husband Brian is, and how athletic my boy's are. He loves us all so very much and I feel his love to my core.

He repeats himself often. Okay maybe more then often. He shares the same stories more then once, or twice, but I don't mind. I just enjoy his company and listening to him reminisce. We talk about what a bitch it is to get old. You lose your life pretty much. He was a brilliant attorney for some 50 years. Now he watches as many Dodger & Laker games as he can. Not a bad gig, I know, but it just doesn't seem fair.

You live an enriched life, then everything slows down. Your body, your mind, pretty much everything.

He tells me he spends a lot of time just thinking. Pondering. He believes in an after-life. That by believing in his God you could live for eternity. He wishes I shared his religious commitment so that I could live forever too with him. I think one of the kindest words someone ever told me was when he told me how much he'd want me to truly live forever because I am such a good person.

This was a really, genuine from the heart compliment and I've been joked up ever since he told me this earlier today. I feel really loved.

Day 303: Hallmark Holiday

Today is the day for lovers...it's Valentine's Day. While it is an adorable holiday, full of teddy bears, chocolate and red roses, especially for very little children who still hand out valentine's day cards to their classmates at school, I gotta say it ain't one of my favorite holidays.

Now, I'm not a love cynic. Really, I'm not, but I believe it's just become so commercialized and truthfully you should display your affection for your amour everyday, not just on a hyped up day that says you should be in love.

If you truly care about your partner, then hopefully you shower him or her on a daily basis (okay maybe weekly, daily might be too much) and don't just wait for today!

If you really love that someone special, then you do what makes them happy, even if it's not what you want to do. That's how you show someone that you care about them.... you put what that person cares about above your own desires (again not all the time!), but often enough that your significant other knows you care & love them.

So while today is fun and gimmicky, let's profess our love all the time! Big hugs & kisses to all my followers!

Day 111: Supportive Fathers

Lots of activity on the No on 8 issue here in California. Why can't people love who they want? Never quite understood why people are up in arms that gay and lesbian couples want to marry! I say let them have all the joys of marriage (ha ha). I mean seriously the rights afforded to a married couple, should also be extended to those that love one another and want to commit on that level.

An old high school buddy of mine named Sylvia has been in a relationship for years with her partner. Her parents have been in a 54 year marriage committed to each other. Here was her father's Letter to the Editor published in the Los Angeles Times. I found it so fabulous that I want to make it today's post:

After 54 years of marriage to the same woman, I must be near the top of the list of people who have credentials to talk about this subject. I don't want to hear anyone who has not been married for at least half a century to the same person to talk about how sacred or meaningful the institution of marriage is. That would reduce the noise level to a whisper.

I am particularly offended by the idea that if two people who happen to be the same sex are in love and want to make a commitment to each other, that they will destroy the nature of marriage.

Marriage is more likely to be diminished by the Bristol Palin/Levi Johnston marriage comedy.

I see no evidence that the politicians and crusaders have done anything to alter the 50% failure rate of American marriages.

It is time to change the subject and let people make their own decisions.

-Charles

While I haven't made it 54 years yet, I have been married for 23 years to the same person. I couldn't agree more with Charles and his opinion. Everybody calm down and let's allow more folks into the club!