I'm not one to believe in the romantic idea that there is one right person for everyone.
I believe that there are people out there who can be WRONG for each other, but I believe that for each person there are tons and tons of people they could make it work and be happy with.
Having said that, I'm amazed that I ended up with such a good match. I come from a small town, where dating a local is like dating your brother. I mean, my dating experience was so limited by my age and the availability of non-brother types, not to mention the way I didn't quite fit in with my surroundings.
And yet, I found this man...kid at the time...who I get along so well with.
We've been together a decade as of April. We met when he was 16 and I was 17. Sometimes I wonder if we're a good match because we grew up together and shaped each other through our interactions. Or perhaps we are two of a kind who, amazingly, found each other so easily.
There are probably a million guys out there who fit my "what I want in a man" checklist, but how many of those would be able to relate to me the way my husband does? It's more than complementary interests, because we don't have all the same likes and dislikes. It's a personality match that baffles me at times with its perfection.
I couldn't let go of him. Not because we have children. Not because our finances are tied together. Not because I feel morally obligated. No.
It's the knowledge that I could search for the rest of my life and probably never find another lid to my pot that fit so snugly.
What other man, when I asked him if he loved me, would answer with "in your face"? What other man would laugh and repeat the little one's Southern twang mantra of "You like to eat your own doo-doos"? What other man would indulge in such childishness with me?
Sure, there are funny guys out there. Attractive guys. Smart guys. But there's some kind of chemistry...some kind of match...that I can't quite define that exists between the two of us. I don't know if I could find it in anyone else. Or perhaps even if I could, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to find it.
We can go back and forth with silly faux insults and sexual innuendo. Our flow of conversation never ends. It's a comfort and security, because we are both able to be ourselves with each other, even when we can't anywhere else.
I love my man.