It occurred to me this morning as I was reading an article on healthy marriage in Catholic relationships (yay for Columbia magazine and nothing else to do with twenty minutes), it hit me that so much of what I have to say and vent is negative. So here is something positive.

(Be warned, this may start sounding like an after-school special.)

I love my boyfriend. I do. I am head-over-heels “butt-crazy” in love with Sjach. I think he gets tired of hearing me say it occasionally. Who knows? But, for the first part of this little note, he’s going to be my gush subject.

I love the way he sings to me when he leaves a voice message, even if the words or tune are wrong.
I love the way he goes for days without communicating, and then says something that makes me forget he’s a thousand miles away and makes me feel as though he were whispering it in my ear.
I love the way he has never, EVER second-guessed our relationship or the way it’s going to turn out.
I love the way he holds me when I cry, even when it’s over the phone.
I love how he understands my moods and gives me the room I need to vent my anger.
I love how he doesn’t want to be snuggly or close except around people we trust. Even if sometimes, I can’t wait to get my arms around him.
I love how he’ll start singing, just to make me blush and smile.
I love his flamboyance, especially when we’re singing along to the “radio” or just joking around.
I love the word “fagalicious”, especially when he says it in his “lispy lilt” of a voice.
I love the way he intentionally mispronounces the word “uvula”.
I love how, no matter how grave the situation, he can look it in the eyes and smirk at it, establishing dominance with absolute cockiness.
I love how he’s never cocky around people he cares about.
I love that he still hugs his mother and speaks with respect to his father.
I love how head-over-heels he is about his nephews. And his “neice”.
But most importantly, I love how he has made a difference in my life.

I love my parents, and their relationship has given me a model on which to base my (EVENTUAL!) marriage. While I believe other arrangements can work for certain cases, I also believe that I needed a mother and father, who stuck together no matter what.

I love how they never hid anything from me. When times were tough, I knew it. When we were going to be living well, I got spoiled.
I love how their faith was always at the forefront of everything. Even when saying grace at McDonald’s embarrassed me.
I love how everything that had life was sacred to them. “All of it belongs to God, and we are stewards of it.”
I love that they stayed together, through things that would break other unions. Financial nonsense, arguments that lasted months, physical separation on both ends- all of this they weathered, and more can be withstood. I know this in my heart of hearts.
I love how, no matter what they were going through, they would drop everything if I was hurt or upset by it.
I love that they still kiss, hug, hold hands and do things together.
I love that they trust me to vent to me, even when I want to pull my teeth out to avoid hearing certain things AGAIN.
I love that they are in my life, and that they do what they can to help and nurture others.

I love my friends. Even the ones I don’t talk to very often. I am grateful for their presence in my life, and marvel at their various gifts.
I love how most of them haven’t heard from me in ten years and yet are still interested in what I do.
I love how certain friends love me, even in my physical absence, and call me more often than I call them. I admit it, I suffer from a shortage of minutes on my phone. >.< And phone anxiety.
I love how not a SINGLE ONE of my friends fits a “norm” and their little quirks are so much fun! Whoo!

I love my extended family. I love them so much I don’t often visit, because I’m annoying and VERY MUCH my father’s and mother’s daughter.
I love how everyone in my extended family has each found a way to be himself or herself. To the nth degree. We are a flamboyant and boisterous set.
I love how everyone in my extended family is attractive- Or so a lot of my friends tell me. Yay?? I don’t notice this stuff. They’re family. I see nerf gun attacks and “Pretty, Pretty Princess” sessions when I look at them.

So, there is my little love-fest. Hope you enjoyed hearing something positive for once!