In another thread Dive_Buddy made a powerful statement...he said that his wife had loved him because of his faults and that she showed him how to do the same. WOW!!!
Dive_Buddy how did she do that?
How did she do that? The hardest was know to man, or woman. By example.
When I say that she showed me how to love someone's faults, I mean that she showed me how she did it. And I may have learned how to do it, but I doubt I will ever be as good at it as she was.
Let us take for example, my inability to remember dates. For most women, this is a sure sign that the man does not care, does not love, anymore. Michelle simply looked at it as one way that she got to take care of me. You see I came home one night and started mucking around in the shop. Michelle asked me if I was forgetting something. I thought, but could not think of anything. When I said no, what am I forgetting? She informed me that we were supposed to go out to dinner. No, problem, I will be ready in no time. Once in the car, she said “you really don't remember do you?” “No Dear, I do not. What am I forgetting?” I replied. “Your Birthday” she said sternly. Ouch! After that, she looked upon having to remind me of dates the day the happened as a way of caring for me. A way of showing her love by keeping my on track. I would find out later that it was something that she actually enjoyed doing for me.
I have a friend, a nice guy, but he drove Michelle up the wall. But from time to time, she would suggest that Chad and I go shooting or something. “Just don't bring him here and spend all day” was her only request.
There were times when I should have mowed the lawn, cleaned the basement, or done some chore around the house. She would tell me to go diving and relax.
I have always stopped to help someone change a tire at the roadside. This drove my first wife nearly to a rage because it would make us late. With Michelle, she always had a little smile on her face when I go back into our car. When it did make us late, she would tell our hosts that I had stopped to help someone, and do it with pride.
Don't get me wrong. There were many times that I caught unholy heck for things I had done. But she love me the same. She seemed to understand that I do forget things, and that I do open my mouth before thinking sometimes, and that I do leave this here and that there, and that I am not always perfect.
We discussed this aspect of love at length several times. We had discussed how love covers a multitude of sins. It was not until it was too late, that I realized how my love for her differed from her love for me. I loved her so deeply that I did not see her faults. I honestly can not point out any faults she had, because I did not even see them. I loved her so much that I ignored her faults. Here is the part that cuts me to my very soul. As were I love her so much I didn't see her faults, she saw every one of my faults and still love me so much.
“Should an Angel descend from the heavens and chose the likes of me for her champion? I think not. Can thou find not, one more worthy than I, to vanguard thine heart?” “Nay” was all she said.
Olympic diving is a sport. Scuba diving is an obsession.
