Show & Tell

I am almost afraid to post this Show & Tell, because I fear that I am going to end up with thousands of women hunting us down and busting in our front door, trying to steal my awesome DH away from me. Not that I couldn't kick the crap out of all of them, I'm just saying.

In spite of the great risk, today I am sharing one of my most favoritest possessions, a gift that DH gave me in college.

First a quick background for those coming from Mel's. DH and I go waaaay back... to elementary school. I've had a crush on him since I was 10 years old. Unfortunately he was always way too short for me. Until! The fall of our junior year of high school, we started the new year and I noticed he had finally gained about 5 inches on me. Time to make my move. (Bat eyelashes here.) Yadda yadda yadda, he asked me to the Homecoming Dance and we've been inseparable ever since. Except those four years when we went to college in different states. We were pretty separated at that point. Physically, at least. Emotionally, though, we were still LIKETHIS.

In high school, my future DH was extremely romantic. I am not exactly sure where he got his mad skillz (with all due respect to my father-in-law), but he really swept me off my feet. One Valentine's Day, he "stole" my car without me noticing, and quietly returned it filled it with chocolate and red paper hearts he had cut out. He had also arranged with all my teachers to put a rose on my desk in between classes, so when I arrived at each period throughout the day, there was a beautiful red rose waiting in my assigned spot. On my birthday, he set up a treasure hunt through my house and had my mom lay the clues the night before for me to discover when I woke up, with my gift at the end. Another V-Day, he pretended that he was taking me out to dinner, but after he picked me up we returned to his house because he "forgot" something. I soon discovered that he had transformed his basement into a romantic picnic for two, complete with blanket, picnic basket of goodies, and his sister's Beanie Baby ladybug. He had even borrowed those GIGANTIC reams of colored paper they have in art class at school (remember those?) to cover the ceiling in blue. I could go on, but I'm guessing you have the point.

As we went off to college, with him in Michigan and me in Illinois, the distance made romance dificult and my sweetie became consumed with numbers and circuits and copious amounts of beer. His biggest show of love was borrowing his family's car to make the drive out to see me once a month. And there was nothing that could have made me happier.

Every now and then, however, I had a glimpse of the old high school DH. On a Valentine's Day visit, he brought me the following present.

FRONT:

BACK:

I like to think there was no motive behind the shirt other than to show his love. But I suspect it's because I was constantly asking him in our phone conversations, "Why do you love me?" and he always responded, "I don't know, I just do!" (He may have been romantic in action, but my guy is no poet, God love him.)

He certainly shut me up with this shirt. On that topic at least.

Unfortunately, the shirt was made for my small college body, and if I put it on today, we'd have a scene of Incredible Hulk shirt rippage going on. But on a positive note, those days of insecurity are behind me and I never think to ask that DH that question. We have grown even stronger throughout life's trials, and I need no further proof than the unwavering support he gives me every day. I can't imagine being myself without him next to me. Plus I have his kid now, I'm pretty sure he's not going anywhere.

Please head back to Mel's and see what the rest of the class is showing! Single file now.

Cross-posted on Sunny in Seattle.