Hubby and I have just declared our current 10-day getaway in Hermanus our second honeymoon. Not that there was anything wrong with our first... it's just that since we said 'I do', our 2-week Mauritian festival of romance is the last time we can remember that it was just 'us'. Between weddings and building businesses and family holidays, the past two and a bit years have flown by in a whirlwind of flights, drives, '30-seconds' re-matches and 'who's turn is it to dash to Spar?' self-catering accommodation.
Over this Easter weekend, a time when grace, mercy and a heightened awareness of being blessed abounds, hubby and I have found ourselves smack bang in the centre of a little piece of heaven. You see, apart from the fact that we have an awesome glass-fronted 'beach room', we have a jacuzzi (I know, very 80's, but still such a treat) that sits on the 'edge of the world'. Located at the most extreme point of the en suite deck to our room, we sit in 'our' jacuzzi, sipping on a sundowner every night, with nothing between us and the ocean/lagoon/mountains/beach scene vista but a sheer two-storey drop. It's like starring in your very own 'couples special' episode of Laguna Beach, except without the backstabbing and vapid dialogue...
As I type this I realise that I may be making some readers mint green with mild envy, and others a slightly more sickly shade of green with nausea at the schmaltzy-ness of it all. Well, neither outcome is my intention. As I type this, all warm and fuzzy inside from an incredible lunch at a wine farm called 'Creation' (in Hermanus's Hemel en Aarde Valley), I am not typing this as a result of the multiple wines we tasted as part of the canapé and wine pairings, or as a result of the trio of chocolate desserts that will have me (literally) running my butt off along the cliff paths for the next few days... no, I am typing this post because this getaway, this buffet of delicious moments with hubby, has reminded me that even the best relationships need your undivided attention.
As I type this I realise that I may be making some readers mint green with mild envy, and others a slightly more sickly shade of green with nausea at the schmaltzy-ness of it all. Well, neither outcome is my intention. As I type this, all warm and fuzzy inside from an incredible lunch at a wine farm called 'Creation' (in Hermanus's Hemel en Aarde Valley), I am not typing this as a result of the multiple wines we tasted as part of the canapé and wine pairings, or as a result of the trio of chocolate desserts that will have me (literally) running my butt off along the cliff paths for the next few days... no, I am typing this post because this getaway, this buffet of delicious moments with hubby, has reminded me that even the best relationships need your undivided attention.
I blow-dried my hair this morning, covered my chipped nail varnish with a fresh coat of Essie's 'Cute as a button' and slicked on a carefully selected shade of lipgloss, not because I needed to (hubby loves me even when I'm a red-faced sweaty mess after a run), but because I wanted to. I wanted to look pretty and polished for hubby... I wanted to be the fresh, rested, funny, wine-loving version of myself that he chose to date once upon a time. And, in turn, he responded by being the quirky, casually handsome, off-the-wall funny boy next door that I fell head over heels for back in 2006:
Me: [halfway through my wine pairing platter] "Wow, that pie looks amazing!"
Hubby: [mouthful of fresh-outta-the-oven homemade beef pie] "mmm-hmmm. So good."
Me: "We have those dishes at home. Would you like it if I made you a pie like that for dinner, with a fresh-baked pastry lid thingee?"
Hubby: [chew. chew. one more front-loader mouthful. over-exaggerated swallow] "Well... my love, Jesus did walk on water... [thoughtful pause] so I guess anything's possible." [followed by a huge grin and a naughty chuckle]
Me: [giggling] "Well played, Winderley, Well played... I love you"
Hubby: "Love you too sweets [great big smooch]. Now stop hogging the merlot..."
I like to think that everybody marries their best friend, the person they can laugh with, 'ooh' and 'aaahhh' with over amazing chocolate brownies with, and have couch potato Sundays with. Hubby is my best mate and the past few days have reminded me just how much fun we have together. Sure, real life happens... you can't dodge it. You can't not work and not do the admin that comes with it, you can't not RSVP to the important social stuff and the family dinners that you're blessed to have to go to. But you can take a little time out every now and then to be the best version of yourself with your other half...
So, as I get ready to spend another evening in 'our' jacuzzi watching the sun go down over the ocean with a full-bodied merlot and a rested, happy husband, I urge you to take a little slice of time this long weekend and give your significant other a snapshot in time with the best version of you. Cheesy, I know... but (trust me) you'll be glad you did.
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