Why Love?

Why do you love your husband?

After a great day nine of the Love Dare, I opened the book to find this question. How is a girl supposed to answer that?

 

There is the physical reason: He is HOT!

 

There is the sentimental reason: He has been in my life since I was 18. How can I not love him?

 

There is the sarcastic reason: Someone has to do it!

 

I can list the things that I love about him—his sense of humor (most of the time I love it, anyway!), his beautiful blue eyes, his willingness to work at a crappy job to support our family, the way he takes care of me when I am not feeling well, his love for our children. But that's all they are—just things. If he wasn't funny, never had his eyes open, quit his job, stop taking care of me and ignored our kids, would I still love him? I don't think I would want to love him then.

And I think that is what it comes down to. I want—truly, madly, deeply WANT—to love my husband. Life is interesting with him. Sure, there are moments when he drives me absolutely insane! There have been times when I have struggled to find the reasons why I even like him. But even then, I have loved him.

 

We started dating in high school. Broke up for two years while I figured some stuff out about who I am. I dated others in that time, but it was my husband that I thought about. He is the one that I missed being near. His hand is the one I wanted to hold. His lips are the ones I wanted to kiss. No one else has ever made me feel the excitement that he does. Facing life without him…. It's not something I wanted to do 13 years ago, and it is not something I even want to think about doing now.

 

I know I don't always show him that love. Sometimes, I really take him for granted. That is why I started out on this journey through The Love Dare; I want to know how to love him better, how to show him love, and how to make his life as wonderful as he has made mine.

 

Yesterday, I continued with the loving greeting toward him. I tried to smile every time he walked into the room. The Dare was to do one unexpected thing to show my love for him. I did a few! I did the laundry (which is a chore he normally does because I just can't stand it!) and I filled his truck up with gas. When I woke up in the night unable to sleep, I put my arms around him and prayed for him. Of course, I also said the words "I love you" to him throughout the day. But I made sure that this time it was more than just words. I wanted him to see my love in action.