Well tour season is gearing up and this translates into Chris being away a good bit of the time. As I was driving home from work today I was pondering this fact. (It's funny how random things just pop into my head sometimes.) My mind drifted to the relationship that Chris and I share. And while I am no expert on the subject of relationships, I do have some life experiences to bring to the table and realizations that make this topic easy for me to talk and write about. As I was driving, I was thinking about the things that make our relationship tick. The good, the not so good and well, all of it. And I had a epiphany that some will understand and others will not but follow along if you can. There are several things that make what Chris and I share beautiful. A couple are that we can finish each other's sentences or that we can convey love without ever having to utter the words "I love you." But one of the things that really lets us both know that we are with the right person is that we miss each other. We have all had times when we have been parted from a loved one and have missed them but what I am describing is what most couples do not get to experience. Every time Chris leaves to go on the road it presents a set of circumstances in which we miss each other terribly and just a few days apart creates a level of anticipation in each of us awaiting the moment of his return. It seems as if our relationship is always being renewed. I guess what I'm saying is we never fall into the rut of routine that so many marriages fall into. I'm not saying routine is not a good thing but what I am saying is sometimes we get so settled that we begin to take things for granted. We miss the small things that bring us happiness because we are to busy with other stuff or we unknowingly ignore each other's needs because there is always later. For me and Chris, there isn't always a later. It's now.
Being with the right person is beyond important. If the relationship is not solid there are larger obstacles to be hurdled. I have recommended this book to everyone who will listen to me rave on about it but it changed the way I look at every relationship in my life. "The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman. Do yourself a favor and read it. I mean READ it! And if you don't get it the first time, read it again.
Chris and I receive the sweetest compliments all the time about how inspiring our relationship is to others. One key fact that some know and others may not is that we have been the very best of friends since we were kids. As I get older and the longer Chris and I are together there is nothing that I believe more than happiness is being married to your best friend. He is the first person with whom I want to share good, bad, happy or sad news. He is the first person I think about when I wake up and last I think about before I go to sleep. With the exception of God, Chris is the most important man in my life. It's turning out to be a fabulous time growing old with my best friend!
