What's so significant about your other?

[Craig]

Yesterday, while was spending time with my "significant other", "better half", or whatever you might call such a close relationship, I suddenly had a rush of all the wonderful aspects that come with her company.

I know some people who would immediately jump on me for saying such a thing. "She's not yours!" they will retort. They're right. She isn't. I only get to enjoy her presence for a time. And really, that's what makes such a thing so very precious. Between us, that time so far has amounted to almost 32 years now. But even with all the years gone by, in my heart, she's still that young lady who caught my eye one Sunday evening in a restaurant. She's still 22, with long black wavy hair, and honest brown eyes. A cute smile.

She still gives me that raised eyebrow when I might not really be paying attention to what she's saying. She still laughes the very same way at me when I'm bound to do something dumb. She still lets a little tear fall out of the corner of her eye when I bring her flowers.

She's the mother of two grown up children better than I deserve. And when I'm done at the end of the day, pooped and dragging, she finishes her day all bright and bouncy, which is no fair at all, but so nice to see!

She's the one with a degree. She's the one that always flattens me with her clear insight. She's the one that get's to drive the "nice" car.

She's the one that waited a year for me to come back from overseas, and let me drag her all over the world with two kids and a dog to boot. She's the one that kept it all together when I was falling apart, by allowing me to do what I had to do.

She's always been there. She's always been sober. She's always been home. I'm gonna 'keep' her...as long as i'm allowed to have her.

How about you? Can you relate at all, here? I certainly hope so.

[Rathpig]

She keeps me out of jail. (I'm not kidding here)

[Ian Nerr]

She's everything to me.

[Craig]

She keeps me out of jail. (I'm not kidding here)

Definitey worth keeping! Can you elaborate? Or is this one of those subjects that is best left as is?:)

[Magdlyn]

He's a hard worker.
He makes a good living.
He's a good dad.
He supported me in having homebirths and homeschooling.
He's good in bed.
He's cute.
He's funny.
He's patient.
He appreciates art.
He's a Democrat and a Pagan.
He plays guitar rather well.
He has a beautiful baritone singing voice.
He eats anything I put in front of him, and says thank you.

:)

[Craig]

He's a hard worker.
He makes a good living.
He's a good dad.
He supported me in having homebirths and homeschooling.
He's good in bed.
He's cute.
He's funny.
He's patient.
He appreciates art.
He's a Democrat and a Pagan.
He plays guitar rather well.
He has a beautiful baritone singing voice.
He eats anything I put in front of him, and says thank you.

:)

And this is just one person? Definitely a keeper, M!

[Craig]

She's everything to me.

That sentiment warms the heart. More warm hearts!

[damian]

She is a good christian and brings these values into our marriage.

[CelticChic]

He cooks for me almost every night. Makes me laugh often. Enjoys art, sciences and willingly discusses with me.
He doesn't just put up with my pets, he loves the dog that came with me and the cats aquired since.
He not only supports, but he encourages me in my interests and most importantly the things I am truly passionate about.
He understands my needs for space and welcomes me when I'm able to be social and loving again.
Most importantly he encourages and supports me in whatever it is I may need to be happy, from moving jobs to moving across country.
I'm keeping this one, hopefully I do as well for him!

[VoxRat]

She's smart.
She's funny.
She doesn't need anger management counseling.

Oh - and she's the mother of my child.

[ck1]

He's a conservative Republican who subscribes to things like the National Review and Commentary. And he likes GWB.

He's a theist who goes to church every Sunday (sometimes more than once), sings in the choir and gives them too much money.

When I am out of town he cooks his favorite dinner - Spam sandwiches.

He can't dance despite years of lessons.

He thinks the time I spend with you guys is wasted.

The last time our son was home he said "I don't see how this marriage works, but it does!"

[Plognark]

D-cups.

[Notta_skeptic]

He makes me laugh, even when I'm convinced I shouldn't be.

He financially supported me for 10 years while I birthed and raised our children.

He doesn't feel threatened by a woman with 12 years more schooling and who earns much more in one year than he did in 5.

He's neater than I am.

He makes no distinction between "men's work" and "women's work."

He'll argue politics and religion with me (and his views are opposite of mine.)

He provided half the DNA of the 3 people I enjoy most in the world: our kids.

He's honest, honorable, thrifty, and dependable.

[Notta_skeptic]

D-cups.
I've got them. I'd give them back for A cups and being able to go braless again in a second.

[Ian Nerr]

She's very intelligent, kind and beautiful. She understands me and loves me as I am.

Her voice is like music to me. Her scent is like a drug. I could gaze into her eyes forever. When I hold her in my arms nothing else matters.

[Craig]

I really like this part:

Her voice is like music to me. Her scent is like a drug. I could gaze into her eyes forever. When I hold her in my arms nothing else matters.

It seems to rescue the masculine need within me for the feminine aspect.

[Rathpig]

She keeps me out of jail. (I'm not kidding here)

Definitey worth keeping! Can you elaborate? Or is this one of those subjects that is best left as is?:)

Opposites often attract, and she is an angel. I'm not. I once thought age would mellow me. Now I am not completely sure. But I've got a guardian angel and that's enough.

[His Noodly Appendage]

She's viciously smart.

She's funny, sarcastic, taketh no shit, and doesn't humour me.

She's one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know.

She laughs at dead puppy jokes, isn't into shoes and handbags, and isn't from Venus.

She has the same lefty-but-ffs politics that I do.

She's *utterly* my type physically. Yowza.

Despite living with me for nearly 8 years, she hasn't stuck a fork in my eyeball and walked out.

No matter how romantic and heartfelt the conversation, she would immediately have chimed in with "...yet." after that last sentence.

She has a highly refined sense of the silly, and is cuter than cuteoverload.com

When something really makes her laugh, it can do so for about half an hour of tear-streaming, floor-slapping, oxygen-deprived howling incapacitation that's ridiculously infectious.

She has tiny, tiny hands.

[Thalia Thinks]

He is enough of a bad boy to keep me interested but is a responsible, hard working guy.

I always thought I would be married to a drunken carpenter who would beat me now and then, it was the type I was always attracted too.

T is far from perfect yet he is perfect match for me. We are opposites in most everything but we balance each other out. I adore him.

He is a smart ass, he makes decent money, he likes that I stay home and do all the chores and doesn't expect me to work outside the house, he accepted my daughter as his own, he accepted that I couldn't have more children to give him, he's a great lover, and he's hot as hell.

[Magdlyn]

He's a conservative Republican who subscribes to things like the National Review and Commentary. And he likes GWB.

He's a theist who goes to church every Sunday (sometimes more than once), sings in the choir and gives them too much money.

When I am out of town he cooks his favorite dinner - Spam sandwiches.

He can't dance despite years of lessons.

He thinks the time I spend with you guys is wasted.

The last time our son was home he said "I don't see how this marriage works, but it does!"

That's kinda scary, ck. Is he Arnold Schwarzenegger?

[ck1]

He's a conservative Republican who subscribes to things like the National Review and Commentary. And he likes GWB.

He's a theist who goes to church every Sunday (sometimes more than once), sings in the choir and gives them too much money.

When I am out of town he cooks his favorite dinner - Spam sandwiches.

He can't dance despite years of lessons.

He thinks the time I spend with you guys is wasted.

The last time our son was home he said "I don't see how this marriage works, but it does!"

That's kinda scary, ck. Is he Arnold Schwarzenegger?

No, but he's sweet and smart and respects our differences and thinks I'm pretty.

It'll be 25 years our next anniversary.

[llanitedave]

She's independent.
She's smart.
She argues with me.
She laughs at my jokes -- even when they aren't funny, she thinks my attempts at humor are.
She tells me every day something she likes about me.
She's my very best friend.
She's a great cook.
She loves the outdoors.
She follows ants around out of pure fascination with their behavior.
She's sexy.
She works hard out in the yard.
She has her own hobbies.
She supports me in mine.
She's willing to let me teach her things, and she's willing to teach me as well.
She's creative, imaginative, and artistic.
She's wise.
She's cuddly.
She's brutally honest, both to me and to herself.
She laughs a lot.
She loves me.
She says she'll let me have a concubine, as long as the concubine also does the housework. (Not too much luck finding that combination yet)
She has interesting and wacky friends.
She likes living with me out in the boonies.
She puts up with my quirks.
I love her.

[BeccaH]

He's lasted more than six weeks and nearly replaced my internet addiction?

[Thalia Thinks]

He's lasted more than six weeks and nearly replaced my internet addiction?


Damn! Most women can't em' to last more than 5 minutes. :banana:

[BeccaH]

I'm not specifically commenting, but I will tell you I am smiling while I type this. :D

[Autodidact]

My sweetheart is the most thoughtful, compassionate and considerate person on the planet. And she loves me.

I'm a short, fat, old, butch, obnoxious dyke.
She's a luscious hottie. Va va va voom.

I trust her.

She doesn't try to run my show.

She puts up with me.

She has never once looked at me like I'm crazy. No matter what weird topic I'm ranting about this week, she's willing to talk about it.

She's a responsible adult.

When I suggest a little nap, she always says yes. ;)

I don't own her, share real estate with her, have a legal responsibility to her, and am not liable for her debts. I am committed to her completely and to sharing the rest of my life and building a future with her only because I love her.

God I'm crazy about that woman.

As a result, I'm happy. Period.

[Gladrags]

I ain't got nobody. Had a keeper, didn't realise it till it was too late.

[Puck]

Ah damn, Gladrags. Sometimes we just can't see the forest for the trees. Until we cut them down and the lack of forest is all too obvious.

Ah well. To the future! Who knows what joys and delights it holds?

[Autodidact]

I once had a true love
I thought it would last
How could I know
That it would go so fast
A love like a holiday
Tender and kind
And I let it whither on the vine...

Nick Lowe

[Autodidact]

While I'm quoting other people's words, here's a poem from Wendy Cope that expresses my feelings quite well:

The Orange

By Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

[His Noodly Appendage]

Bah, there is but one love poem - all the rest are just pale imitations.


somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain, has such small hands

So there.

[Gladrags]

Ah damn, Gladrags. Sometimes we just can't see the forest for the trees. Until we cut them down and the lack of forest is all too obvious.

Ah well. To the future! Who knows what joys and delights it holds?

Hi! Puck, thanks. I'm fine really. I just wanted to join in. :)

[Autodidact]

Funny thing about my sweetie. We've been doing our thing for almost 4 years and living together full time since last August, and I still feel a little thrill at the thought that she will be coming home soon.

[Goldie]

Not a poem or significant other...but when I look into my granddaughter's eyes I catch myself singing Elton John's "Your Song"...
How wonderful life is now that your in the world.

I sing... a lot. :) Now that she is in the world.

[Goldie]

Married 27 yrs in June... together longer.. 28 yrs in Oct.

He still loves me, and kisses me, and tells me he loves me. We are best friends who hate to be apart.

We both cried watching "John Adams" when his wife died. We didn't say anything but we were both thinking how we'll never be able to bare losing the other. I think we will be one of those couples that when one dies, the other soon follows.

[Craig]

Funny thing about my sweetie. We've been doing our thing for almost 4 years and living together full time since last August, and I still feel a little thrill at the thought that she will be coming home soon.

When it's real that little thrill never goes away.

[DMB]

38 years so far. He's bright, original and always interesting. He cares passionately about things and works very hard at them, even though he's 70 and supposed to be retired, or at least having a year off. He's mad enough to appreciate me. He's the father of my children.

We were having a small row in the car this morning. (We have just moved house and were going shopping for light fittngs. Our tastes don't coincide.) When we stopped at the umpteenth shop, I suddenly felt overwhelming love and had to kiss him, despite the row.

I feel really lucky. The only trouble now is that at the age we are, we think of death from time to time and neither of us can contemplate being the one left behind.

[The 800# Gorilla]

Well, lets see. We've been together for 14 years. Married for 8 of those. So I would have to say her paycheck. :p

[Craig]

Well, lets see. We've been together for 14 years. Married for 8 of those. So I would have to say her paycheck. :p

ahhhhhh! True love.:D

[retrow]

We've been together for nearly 2 years now. About an year ago we had a big fight involving all the name calling and fault pointing. When we came to our senses we sat down and decided to figure out each other's expectations. She asked me, "What can I do to make you happy?", and I told her a list of things she needed to do or improve upon. To my astonishment, she really altered her life for me.

Now I can say that she is everything I asked for. Literally and figuratively.

[BeccaH]

He put dishes in my dishwasher last night without being asked to.

My god, I think I'm in love. ;)

[Craig]

Not a poem or significant other...but when I look into my granddaughter's eyes I catch myself singing Elton John's "Your Song"...
How wonderful life is now that your in the world.

I sing... a lot. :) Now that she is in the world.

Anyone who makes life more complete is our significant other-part-of-who-we-are-always-with-love. Spouse for sure. Siblings. I know kids and grandkids qualify. I suppose sometimes even animals qualify.:)

[seebs]

My spouse is very much unlike me, which turns out to be excellent. For instance, I never understood the point of poetry, until my spouse explained it.

And really, when it comes down to it, "was able to explain poetry to someone autistic" is pretty damn special.

[seebs]

Bah, there is but one love poem - all the rest are just pale imitations.

I prefer This is Just To Say.

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

-- William Carlos Williams

[shipload]

Married 27 yrs in June... together longer.. 28 yrs in Oct.

He still loves me, and kisses me, and tells me he loves me. We are best friends who hate to be apart.

We both cried watching "John Adams" when his wife died. We didn't say anything but we were both thinking how we'll never be able to bare losing the other. I think we will be one of those couples that when one dies, the other soon follows.

Yeah...I lost my wife after 19 years together. We both married late, but despite my telling her that I could not read her mind, nor foretell the future, and that I took hints very poorly, she put up with me and made me laugh practically every day. I admired her fascination with fiber arts and loved to see her lost in her projects; a neverending source of interest and energy. Prior to that, I never knew life could be so good. I can certainly now understand why those who've been together die so closely together. The worst experience in my lifetime was watching her die.

[Goldie]

Oh! You are breaking my heart. :(
(((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))

[His Noodly Appendage]

My spouse is very much unlike me, which turns out to be excellent. For instance, I never understood the point of poetry, until my spouse explained it.

And really, when it comes down to it, "was able to explain poetry to someone autistic" is pretty damn special.

I have to know: how?