Feeling warm and fuzzy

Honeymoon trip (2004)


Wedding Day (1992)



Since today was Valentine's Day, I'm feeling warm and fuzzy. And I think I'll share something. Lately, Rich has been trying to tell me his feelings, which isn't very easy for him so he will start to tell me something, or go around trying to tell me something and without him actually getting all the words out, I know what he's trying to say. I realize that even after 15 years and me being a pain in the ass, that the man still loves me. I mean really loves me. And it makes me feel good. One of our songs is When A Man Loves A Woman. Rich will tell you he likes Percy Sledge's version over Michael Bolton's. Of course, Rich is NOT a Michael Bolton fan, LOL!

Whenever I hear the song, I drop everything I'm doing and just sit and listen to it. The more I hear it, the more I think that song pretty much sums up our relationship. No matter how badly I treat Rich, he would still do just about anything I need him to. He would and has given up things for me. Mainly, when I wanted to stay home with our children, Rich was trying to go to grad school. He gave that up, so I could stay home. He did eventually get his masters degree, but only after he had gotten hurt working at a job he hated, where he got hurt, threaten, crap and piss thrown on him, listened to criminals say shit about his family and himself. He did that for me and our family. No one asked him to, he just did it, to make me happy.

I guess you can say, I'm realizing how lucky I truly am. And I think I should stop being selfish and foolish. And realize that I have what some girls only dream about. Here's the lyrics to the song, in case you were wondering, or didn't know what I was talking about.

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Tryin' to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Lovin' eyes can't ever see

When a man loves a woman
He can do no wrong
He can never own some other girl
Yes when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world

When a man loves a woman.....

When we had planned on getting married, it was clear that my mother wasn't going to pay for much of anything (she didn't pay for my sister's either - my dad made the money, but my mother controlled it). So Rich had told me, that he wouldn't be able to pay for everything, he just didn't have the money. He gave me a choice and whatever I decided he would pay for and go along with. I could have an engagement ring, a honeymoon (wedding at the courthouse) or a wedding (a nice one in a church). I picked the church wedding. I wanted the memory of a wedding with pictures and everything. So that is what we did. About five years later, he bought me a diamond ring as an engagement ring. About twelve years later, we went on a trip, just the two of us. And that was our honeymoon. He might not have been able to give it to me all at once. But he has been making up for it ever since.

Yeah, I think I'm lucky. Very, very lucky!