"Where do you keep all those letters I sent you?"
The other night, Dan decided to try and track down some vintage shots of himself, circa any decade other than the present one, to use on his Facebook profile. I told him to check in my little black suitcase, tucked way in the back of our closet, underneath scores of clothes that don't fit, and boxes and boxes of photo negatives. He never found the shots he was hoping to find, but he did sit for a while with that old, ratty suitcase, and the evidence of our courtship phase: letters, and lots of 'em.
When we first met back in 1988, he lived in Minnesota and I lived in Texas. Much of our courtship took place courtesy of the U.S. Postal System. Being a tad sentimental, I saved everything he ever sent me. From a box of crayons, to a miniature Gumby doll, to a handful of tiny plastic babies—everything he ever sent while trying to woo me is in that suitcase. (And really, nothing says, "I love you," like a handful of tiny plastic babies.)
I actually haven't pulled that suitcase out in a few years, and as I'm sitting in our bed, watching yet another episode of Friday Night Lights on Hulu (my most favorite new website ever!), he kept interrupting me with things like, "Oh man, I don't even remember sending this!" or, "I put together some really excellent paper and stamp combinations."
He finally drew my cougar-like attention away from Big Tim Riggins by tossing an anniversary card he'd made (one of many in a fine, 17-year tradition of home made cards) up onto the bed for me to look at.
"Remember this?"
And to tell you the truth, I didn't remember it. And I got to relive it all over again.
I present, my 4th anniversary card, as created by Dan Zielske.
It reminded me, yet again, that stuff might happen in my life, like losing a job, or getting chubby, or having a skin cancer scare, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that at the end of the day, I'm a lucky, lucky girl.
I know there are times when my head isn't always level, and I'm not always gazing through the lens of love. But 9.75 times out of ten? This guy's a keeper and I'm thinking that every little thing'll work out just fine.
