pink + blue = love

Just a quick note to you dear newlyweds, the not-so-newlyweds and even the oldie-weds...

Approximately 6 mostly bliss filled years ago, my knight and I read a book entitled Love & Respect. There were things we loved about the book, and a handful of things we may have scoffed at.  One of those being the concept that women hear with pink earmuffs and speak with pink megaphones and men hear through blue earmuffs and speak through blue megaphones.  I actually thought the idea was so cheesy I almost disregarded much of the book. But wouln't you know that years later, that silly concept we laughed at still surfaces and actually helps with our communication.  Or at least helps us resolve communication issues after the fact.

For example. Let's pick an arbitrary day like, oh, today for instance, where my knight in plaid & denim said he would be coming home for lunch.  My pink earmuffs and I got all puffed up with excitement and I readied the troops for his arrival. 

His visit consisted of eating 1/2 of his lunch while standing up and wrapping the rest in a paper towel to take with him to a meeting this afternoon. At this point I may have hypothetically speaking, had a few ruffled feathers and may have responded with a rather grumbling spirit. Ok, I wasn't very nice at all.

As quickly as he arrived, he departed and I was left with a pile of frustration and little grace. 

Until I remembered those darn earmuffs. And I laughed.

What happened was that through his blue megaphone he said "I'm coming home to get lunch" and in my pink earmuffs I heard "Oh honey, I love you so much, I'm going to make a special trip home and I'll listen to everything you have to say about your morning, I'll linger a few moments gazing into your eyes and then as if I am being physically torn away, I will leave hesitantly." Or something like that.

May I repeat?  What he said was "I'm coming home to get lunch." 

And when he did just that, he wasn't ill-willed at all, just doing exactly what he said he was going to do.

I tell you this little hypothetical story to remind you that communication, even with someone you love and cherish, isn't always easy. And sometimes it takes a conscious reminder that that special someone truly does not wish you ill, but rather loves you and just may be speaking and hearing through different "colors."

How will my story end you ask?  I'll send my knight this link with a heartfelt "I'm sorry for being disappointed over unspoken expectations.  Will you forgive me?"

My knight will most assuredly say "I already have." We'll seal the deal with a little kiss and I'll whisper, "Do you think the next time you say you are coming home for lunch you could stay? I'd like that very much."

The end.