Today passed between my wife and myself each giving the other a card, an unwrapped gift, and a peck on the cheek.
I got home late from work, and she looked mildly tweaked. Probably not because I was late
per se, but rather that I txted "coming home soon", then stayed at work another hour... so I probably deserved that cold glare when I walked in.
But I still got to spend some quality bonding time with my sweetie: my daughter. She is a charming high school senior. Smart and talented. She's the reason I'm still in this house. I want to soak up every minute of time with her that I can.
My choice to be on the "college plan" is precisely for these sort of moments. 20 or 30 minutes here or there where we are watching TV and chuckling about the same stuff. Or: both end up at the table just shooting the breeze. We talk about her recent baking or candy making projects. We talk about college. We talk about life. We talk about science and culture.
I'm here for her. She's here for me. If I had left the marriage anytime since I've given up on it (about three years ago), I would have missed out on all these unplannable, subtle, exquisite moments.
It has been the right choice for me, even if it has meant putting my love life (or rather: seeking my next love life) on hold for a bit.
===========================
Saffron. One of the things we talked about tonight was saffron. Who ever figured that this little, pollen-laden thread of this particular crocus would yield such a exquisite spice?
These moments with her are like these tiny specks of saffron: they season my whole life... and make it exquisite.