July always seems to be the busiest month for us. Some sort of travel is usually involved, and the birthdays! It’s one celebration after another and today, it’s M’s turn to blow out the candles.
“Why did you marry Daddy and not someone else?” K asks me a lot. Partly to tease M, but also (I suspect), because she wants to hear about M’s best qualities over and over. The first answer that pops out is, “Because he made me laugh more than anyone else.” M has a very particular brand of humor and to be honest, I didn’t get it at first. He can deliver the funniest lines completely deadpan, and there’s a lot of sarcasm involved (I’m not too sharp when it comes to sarcasm — too earnest, he tells me). He’s on the raucous side and peppers his quick wit with sharp social observations. Whenever my mom visits, she comments on how we’re always laughing together, and that’s how I know I’ve married the right guy.
In so many ways, we’re polar opposites. I like neutrals and minimalistic designs; he loves bold colors and a mashup of aesthetics. He’s an outdoorsy guy who would defy logic and sleep on his bike in the wild if he could; I can barely manage glamping and truly adore civilization and orderliness. I’m obsessed with planning and have a to-do list at the ready at any given moment; he’s…well, he subscribes to the fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants school of thought. He’s addicted to books and shows about finance and economics, and nothing sounds less appealing to me. Despite our many, many differences, we work. I remember when I was still very young — teens, maybe — someone told me that I should make sure that I enjoy talking to my significant other. That it’ll be the saving grace and the key to a successful marriage. M is almost unfailingly interesting and entertaining (the exception is when he talks about finance. Even he can’t make the topic riveting for me), and thank goodness I listened to that wise person so long ago.
Happy Birthday, Honey. You still make me laugh more than anyone else — I actually think you get funnier with age!
*That’s K’s handiwork up there. I love that she calls his lids “eye curls”. M does have some nice eye curls.
Just add K to the list of artists in your family! Great drawing.
Isn’t it awesome? I love K’s drawings 🙂 She keeps insisting that she’s not good at art, but I beg to differ!
Happy Birthday to M!!!I loved this post, because you nailed when you said you married him because he make you laugh. I think the same about my husband, plus is my best friend. what more you can ask? by the way, K’s drawing is fantastic!
Thank you, Maria! I’ve always had a soft spot for humorous guys, and M just took the cake (and still does) 🙂
I dated a guy who I couldn’t laugh with. It was awful! Laughter is so important. I’m glad you two found each other – happy birthday to M!
Oh, I can’t even imagine, Morgan! A laughless relationship? Shudder. Sounds like you don’t have that problem with N!
May you have many more years of laughter and joy together as you celebrate the blessing of M today!
Thank you, Lucinda! Hear, hear!
Happy birthday to M! The world needs more humour laced with sarcasm; unfortunately for me, my husband doesn’t quite appreciate it :-). Love your posts touching on relationships- they always get me introspective (in a happy way)!
Glad to hear it, Shvetha! Of course, as with any relationship, it’s not all giggles and jokes, but I have to say we laugh a disproportionate amount. 🙂
What a great tribute!
🙂 M’s a good one indeed!
Awesome drawing! Especially the eye curls! K really captures the essence of facial expressions, M’s eyes look averted, as if she drew him while playing videogames.
p.s. Messy hair? Plaid shirt? Is M a hipster? 😉
Love love love the eye curls! I think M is a reluctant hipster. He wouldn’t be caught dead calling himself one, but he rides a super hip bike (which, of course, pegs him as one) 🙂