One love

Last Wednesday was a busy day for both of us and so managing to eat together downstairs was quite miraculous. Reading back on that introductory line, I'd simply meant the two of us eating downstairs in our restaurant together but the innuendo is also true. There was hardly any time for ourselves. However Saturday was the day we'd set aside. On our anniversaries I always sneak treats into her purse or coat pockets like rose gum and banana chocolate that she loves. I think small things always add up. But this Saturday she took the initiative and really surprised me because she had never done anything like this before. She'd gone over to her dance class in the morning as usual and asked that I pick her up at noon. When I arrived not only had she bought me flowers with a lovely card but she gave me a tiny cream and strawberry cake with a candle for each year. The card reads...

One love
Two of us
Three happy years

I'm not saying that she isn't romantic because I love all the little things she does and by that I mean all her little ways that I know about. But when she goes out of her way and does something that genuinely surprises me then that's when I realise how much she really means to me and how wonderfully special she makes me feel.

The evening in the Canard was lovely and I believe that the familiar surrounds and the atmosphere helped us recall and talk about our first days together. It's always interesting to see what is prominent in the shared memories in the minds of others.
We chose oysters because they taste better in the winter months. I like mine with lemon and Hitomi likes them with plum sauce. Some people imagine that they increase our ardour but if all the thousands of people that I see eating them were to benefit from such mythical properties then we'd all be living in a rather licentious society. Perhaps we are but I'm sure we don't attribute that to the humble oyster. Many people have never touched an oyster but still make rabbits look chaste by comparison. I guess its all down to how you look at it. Speaking of which, since the Chinese see ginseng as the 'man-root' because of how it looks, perhaps oysters, by a small stretch of the imagination, could be said to resemble the female pudenda and this is where the myth originates? Well that idea certainly appeals to me as it slips across my tongue.

Any relationship will change over time, we grow and we change and so do our thoughts and ideas and priorities and the relationships we form with people. Sometimes the pace of life and the dedication we throw into our work limits the time we can have with our loved ones. That reason alone should tell you not to waste those moments with needless things. We do not function well when we are alone and I don't care what anyone says about that. Some people hide behind a brave position declaring to the world that they need no one. They are their own strength, in fact others would just slow them down they say. But wait a minute, you are alone with your thoughts while you read this and instead of thinking that about yourself, think about other lonely people. What was your impression of them once you found they were alone? No matter your brave stance then, do not discredit others from having eyes to see the truth about loneliness even in those who try to hide it well.

Relationships are instrumental in the way we learn about human interaction. They give us hope and a curiosity about how we connect. We learn to discover new friendships and in each of our friends we find different meanings in that unique friendship. A relationship with our loved ones should be the strongest emotional bonds. Communication and honesty is the nurturing that all relationships flourish upon.

My dearest hope is that you all have a special someone. If you do or when you do, never take it for granted and continually make time to show your appreciation.

My love to you all.