My Definition of "True" Love

"True" Love...as in,

WOW, this isn't at all what I thought it would be.

It is HARD.

It can HURT.

And it takes A LOT of WORK.

I remember sitting down with my Bishop a week or two before our wedding date. Scott and I were young (well he was), and in love, and pretty clueless about what we were getting ourselves into. The Bishop told us that he and his wife had never {did I mention that he said NEVER} exchanged a cross word in their 30 years of marriage. I sat there with my hopeful head spinning, floating off to this place called {dream land} that my Bishop should have told me DIDN'T REALLY EXIST!!! I thought to myself,

"Oh, how romantic, and lovely. That is what our marriage is going to be. We can do it. We love each other SO much. I mean...it is TRUE LOVE after all!"

Well for those of you that are married...

it should come as  NO SURPRISE

that about 4 weeks into our marriage

I completely tossed my idea of what a PERFECT MARRIAGE should be.

Perfect just can't exist when there are TWO IMPERFECT people involved.

So for me "TRUE" love is about trying for more of this:

TRUST
COMMITMENT
HUMILITY
SELFLESSNESS
KINDNESS
HAPPINESS
LOYALTY
HUMOR
LOVE
SERVICE
INTIMACY

And less of this:

Selfishness
Greed
Insincerity
Darkness
Dishonesty
Heartache
Tears
Stubbornness
Pride
Complacency
Meanness

 And so you see,

Our Marriage isn't Perfect

But our LOVE STORY is.

We laugh.

We forgive.

We try.

We keep trying.

We kiss.

We give.

We serve.

We continue on.

Day after day after day.

Because the TRUTH about love is that the more you give, the more you get.

And the TRUTH is...
9 years ago, when I met Scott at church, and he introduced himself to me as 'Steve' because he was flirting, and I followed him out into the hall and gave him a little pinch on his bottom and a wink because I was flirting, our "TRUE LOVE" ignited. And that FLAME is still BURNING.

And here is a little note I wrote to Scott, a few years back.

Love Letters by Erin Peterson


I don't tell you often enough of the huge space you occupy in my heart.

I miss writing you love letters.
I think I shall start.

I love you.

It's a different kind of love.

It started as one big giant explosion...

and simmered to one, constant glowing flame.

It is steady, warm and pure.

Our flame is ours.
It works for us.

My love for you will  never dim.
It can't.

You ignite my heart.
You quicken my breath.
You heat my soul.
You're my perfect match.

And we will continue blazing through life together.

You and me...on fire.

~~~~~~

Happy Valentine's Day Scott.
The whole family is sick.
This day isn't going to be very romantic.
But when I asked you to please empty the dishwasher this morning because I couldn't bring myself to do it, and I came back into the room and you were scrubbing the sink with everything in it's place.
That was SEXY.

I love you STUPID. (Is this a harsh pet name because I kind of like it?) Even though you forgot your socks on our wedding day and had to wear black ones. (As the photo's above will illustrate.) And I'm so glad that you love me. (Even though I snored SO SO SO loud last night {his words} because I am super sick.)

I am loving the journey, and I'm loving you always,

Snoobs.