Yep, that ONE is mine.

I know I usually post Friday Funnies to round up the week but I was so moved by a story today that I HAD to change gears. Also with the weekend upon us, date nights/days are surely a possibility (especially since tomorrow is Sweetest Day).


Under the title of this blog you see the words woman and mommy.  I've shared a lot about the mommy side this week so let me jump to the other side for this Friday. Believe me I am all woman (at least what the media deems woman). If I could live in any era it would be the fifties. If I could wear anything it would be a dress. I love makeup. I am addicted to Lifetime series and movies. I celebrate Sweetest Day. I love cooking and baking. I love babies. And on. And on. And on. However, my better half is not the woman I am. Rather, my better half is, GASP, a man. And OMG do I love that man.


This man is my husband. He got a whole lot of trouble the night he met me. I was 19 when I met him and full of more craziness than all three of my kids combined. He accepted that craziness. He accepted my flaws and my attributes. He has always been accepting of the woman I am. Always accepting of ME.


But it is far and in between that I take the time to show him how deeply I love him. I don't thank him on a daily basis for being a part of the woman I am today. I don't shower him with kisses and hugs and "I love you" like I should be. Why??? Because, simply, life gets in the way.


I am truly blessed to have Erik as my better half. He takes my sense of humor, my bad moods, my lack of showering, my dirty use of cuss words, my experiments in the kitchen, my addiction to yoga, my Paleo cooking and my dream of being a great writer. He takes it all, good and bad, head on. He's a real man.


Our love story goes back 11 years. He held my purse during sorority parties, held my hair back after "after work parties," held my train as we walked down the aisle, held my hand during fertility treatment after fertility treatment, held our babies as they took their first breaths and has held my heart everyday since we met. I am in awe that God created this other being just for me. Yep, that one is mine. I know he is. He accepted me when my background was different than his. He loved me during the sadness of fertility treatments and then celebrated with me during the triumphs. He packed boxes along my side through four moves in four years. He hasn't admitted me to an insane asylum after the early years of raising three kiddos including twins. He has remained my best friend despite seeing me at my worst and knowing my darkest secrets.


As I heard a story this morning, God put the image of Erik in my head. For no good reason, just to say hey this is who you should be thankful for. Just that one image of his face set forth a domino effect of memories and flashbacks. Yep, that ONE is mine. Yep, that ONE is amazing.


When is the last time you looked at your special someone (and yes that someone could be woman too, I know that true love knows no boundaries)? Said thank you? Greeted them with "I missed you today" rather than "you won't believe what the kids did today"? I know that it has been a hell of a long time since I have. I am notorious for taking my bad days and frustrations out on my greatest fan. How selfish is that? How dumb is that? So in celebration of all the better halves out there and this coming Sweetest Day, I challenge you all to stop, take a look at your ONE and say thank you. Say I love you. Say Yep, that ONE is mine and that ONE is amazing with your words and actions.


P.S. I'll treat you with Saturday Sillies and Sentiments tomorrow to makeup for missing out on Friday Funnies :)