I spent years thinking I deserved whatever price I had to pay in order to have a man in my life. There were bruises, blood, fear, threats, and maybe worst of all there were non-stop ugly words. I didn't just choose one man like this, I found several. One after another. I just knew in my heart that I deserved to be treated this way. It was my lot in life.
When I was 31 my best friend asked me to marry him. He was kind, gentle, caring, soft-spoken, and free of dramatic flair. I resisted marrying him for months, I was so unsure of the feelings that he stirred in me. I was sure he didn't love me enough, after all, he never showed me the passion of yelling or raising a hand to me.
I came to my senses one afternoon. We were at a box store and I just realized, standing with him was all I wanted, all I would ever need. I took his hand, and without telling him where we were going, I took him to get the license, and we walked down the block from there to the Justice of the Peace.
14 years later and we still chuckle about our wedding, and the way we found our own brand of romance. I can tell him anything, I can just be quiet with him, too. We allow each other the room to be who we are. I am so different from him, I'm not like what someone would imagine for him. He is so different from everything I knew before him, and I love that. I love the safety and warmth of him. He is my joy.
This post is part of SOYJOY‘s What brings you joy contest. Learn more here.
