Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Familairity breeds ... pure love

Ever heard that weird line "familiarity breeds contempt"? It's an interesting thought. Basically it means to say that the more time you spend with someone, the more you find them absolutely annoying and atrociously obnoxious. I really and truly used to believe in this saying. It seemed fair; the more time that you spend with someone, the more you get to know their less idealistic sides. A friend I knew in seminary used to say that it was a psychological fact that all of the things one finds intriguing in a romantic partner, one later finds to be the thing that is the most frustrating after becoming committed. So the guy who really digs the girl who is always looking really made-up and prettied can't stand the way that his now-girlfriend takes 20 minutes to put on lipstick and makes them late for everything. In the same way, the girl that is attracted to the quiet guy who is really sweet and genuine later is frustrated that he never wants to go out and socialize.

Now with that background I go back to the fact that I used to believe that "familiarity breeds contempt". I say that I "used" to believe that because after celebrating my first half of a year with my husband by going away to British Columbia together for a friend's wedding, I have found the opposite to be true. Instead of familiarity breeding contempt, sarcasm, boredom or anything of that nature, familiarity has bred pure love. This excites me because I believe that this will only continue to happen the further down the road we get. Also, as we become more familiar with praying with each other, reading together, eating together, sleeping together, driving together and everything else together, I become more aware of what my husband needs. I become more attuned to him as a person. I count this as such a blessing because I really and truly know how much I don't deserve this kind of joy in my life. I count it only as a gift from God. I am so excited to wake up every morning with my best friend and say, "I am yours and you are mine. Let's take on the day".

1 comment:

JOSEPH HANDLEY said...

I love you darling!!! You are my best friend.

"What Great Grief Has Made the Empress Mute" June Jordon - Poetess

Because it was raining outside the palace
Because there was no rain in her vicinity

Because people kept asking her questions
Because nobody ever asked her anything

Because marriage robbed her of her mother
Because she lost her daughters to the same tradition

Because her son laughed when she opened her mouth
Because he never delighted in anything she said

Because romance carried the rose inside of a fist
Because she hungered for the fragrance of the rose

Because the jewels of her life did not belong to her
Because the glow of gold and silk disguised her soul

Because nothing she could say could change the melted music of her space
Because the privilege of her misery was something she could not disgrace

Because no one could imagine reasons for her grief
Because her grief required no imagination

Because it was raining outside the palace
Because there was no rain in her vicinity