The Love of My Life

While the photo may be from springtime, the person in it is my Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter: the love of my life, my "bestest friend", my soulmate, my partner, my man. Like a fellow blogger said the other day, the word "partner" sounds so businesslike, but until the term "love-of-my-life" replaces it, or until our country gets off its homophobic butt and lets us marry, then calling him my partner is all I can do right now.

He keeps me grounded. He keeps me on track. He respects me. He challenges me to think. He quietly keeps things running in our household while I am busy with community activities. He continues to ask me to take time for "me," and to relax a bit, ride my Harley, read novels in Italian and other languages, or spend time with my family and elder-buds.

He's not perfect. He won't answer the phone or the door. He dislikes socializing. He has no friends. He doesn't like to go out. He has a brittle temper, especially when he is in pain due to his disability. But he far more makes up for that, by being a warm, gentle, exceptionally caring, loving, intelligent, and thoughtful man.

He and I think exactly alike when it comes to finances, but he's the financial brains of the outfit. We have no debt beyond a very small mortgage, we save for what we want to get or do so we don't take loans, and through his guidance we have been setting aside funds and resources for retirement. Neither of us carry balances on credit cards, or throw away money by gambling or engaging in risky financial practices. But my personal financial situation is stable (even in today's rough economy) because I mirror my partner's high standards when it comes to money and investments.

Further, the love of my life just "does things" without asking, and without saying, "see what I've done." The house doesn't clean itself; the truck doesn't shed its dirt; the laundry doesn't pop itself into the washer and dryer and find its way into drawers and onto hangers... so many things he does that I don't thank him enough for doing, because sometimes I get so busy that I don't notice things he has done for me.

When I get really busy, I mean really, really busy in my civic life, he just quietly does whatever he can do to support me. He reorganized my office so all the different facets of my civic life were organized, filed, and prioritized. When I go fix things for my "elder buds," he often is the one who gets the equipment, supplies, and materials that I need to do that. When I want to bake 20 loaves of bread in a week, he stocks the pantry with flour, yeast, raisins, cinnamon, and sugar.

That's what's so magic about the love of my life. Without saying a thing, he knows what needs to be done, and just does it. It's more than reading my mind. He can read my soul. He is always there, truly reliable, my rock, and a warm snuggle on a cold night. And sexy, too -- but this is a "G-rated" blog!

For all of this, I have vowed to make this Christmas the best yet. My partner has invited his mother to stay with us for the upcoming week. Since her husband died, her being alone on Christmas was not an option my partner would accept. My M-I-L is not the easiest person to be around. I'll leave it at that. Let's say past visits during the holidays have been challenging. But I absolutely vow that I will do all I can do to make her feel welcome, happy, pampered and loved. This is what I can do for my partner, who loves me unconditionally, with the purest of heart. And he loves his mother, too.

I cherish the man who makes my life all that it is and worth living. He is what makes Christmas merry for me. Thank you, God, for your Divine Intervention to bring us together, and for that, I remain, truly grateful to You, and live a life in faith and love.