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One time when my sister was visiting me, we had bought a papaya to try. As we were unpacking the groceries, I held the papaya in my hand and started making up a song. “Pa-pa-pa-pi-yah!” I sang.
At this point in my life, I had made some bad decisions about the men I dated. My sister told me that when I met a man that I could sing the papaya song to without being embarrassed, he would be the right man for me.
Well, it appears that I have married the right man, because Ed has made up a song for jalapenos, and he and the girls sing it all the time! Ed is always singing. He sings in the backyard while he’s mowing the lawn, he sings in the car and tells us all to join in even when we don’t know the words, and he sings at church. The one place I haven’t heard him sing is in the shower, where all normal people sing. He picked the perfect song for our first dance at our wedding; “Goodbye” by Def Leppard, which really isn’t about goodbyes after all.
Ed also knows what I like. While we were dating, I was trying to cut back on drinking Coke. After a long work week, he showed up at my apartment with a 20 ounce bottle of Coca-Cola with a bright red bow on top. That was one of the most romantic things he’s every done.
Dating for us was a little rough. We lived over 60 miles away from each other, so the only times we saw each other was on the weekends. Once we knew that we wanted to be together, we committed to spending every weekend together. Most of the time it worked, but some of the time it was exhausting! During this time, Ed saw the worst come out in me. (I don’t do well when I’m tired or hungry!) He stuck with me anyway. (I’m going to add…I stuck with him, too…he’s not perfect!)
We knew we would be good together when we traveled from Chicago to Yellowstone National Park together. Road Trip! Being stuck in a car together for 12 hours at a time will teach you if you’re compatible. Ed and I passed with flying colors! Now we drag out kids all over the country with us. We like places that aren’t too touristy. We like hiking on trails and packing our own lunches. We like eating in unique restaurants and refuse to go to McDonald’s on vacation. When the kids are in bed, we’ll sit on the balcony of our hotel room (if we’re lucky enough to have one). He’ll have a beer, I’ll have a glass of wine, and we’ll talk. I love that after 12 years of marriage, we still have plenty to talk about!
On Valentine’s Day he brings me fresh flowers, but not tulips because they make me sneeze. For Mother’s Day, we had the exact same idea for what he should buy the kids to give to me. (I’m not going to tell you…yet.) He makes me coffee every morning. He tells me he loves me often, and tucks me in at night.
I think I’ll keep him.
