Dates of two kinds

"No, I don't think I will kiss you. Although, you need kissing badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." --Rhett Butler

I would like to go on a date. I would like to be asked out, picked up, told I'm pretty, hand holding throughout and thoroughly kissed goodnight at the end.

Perhaps I have watched Enchanted one too many times. Or maybe it's the little romantic I seem to be raising. The girl child is constantly drawing stick figures holding hands and dancing, telling me stories about princes and princesses. She looks at my wedding photos and exclaims over my wedding dress and says, "Daddy and Mommy are married!" She's excited about it because I've always been excited when I tell her about it.

*heavy sigh*

Romance these days feels like a misplaced item that I'm constantly trying to find, and just know I left in the last house that we lived in. Or maybe it was two houses ago. Or three...and how does one go about trying to "keep the fire alive" when it's taken effort on both sides to just work on not letting the embers of the relationship die altogether?

*another heavy sigh*

Time to change the subject.

Tomorrow is my twenty-ninth birthday. I have spent the last couple of years feeling so ancient, physically and emotionally, that I have to remind myself that I'm only twenty-nine. I'm looking forward to starting a new year in my life, one where I'm less weary, and more energized. And where I do more for other people than I do for myself.

I saw a shirt in Target the other day that said, "Do more of what makes you happy." I stood there for a long time thinking that if I did more of what made me "happy",  I'd probably eat a lot more froyo, drink a lot more vodka, and spend a lot more money. ;-) Suddenly a song from my childhood entered my head. I could hear "Psalty the Singing Song Book" belting out, "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be the servant of all." That's actually in the Bible, in the book of Mark.

"But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister, whosoever will be chiefest, shall be servant of all." Mark 10:43-44 (KJV)

And I remembered the true happiness that comes from doing kind things for other people. And I have decided to spend this twenty-ninth year making that my focus, starting with my family and working out. I feel very blessed tonight, thinking tomorrow I will have the privilege of spending the day with my family and my friends. God is good, and that stays true every year, whether I'm good or not.

So maybe I won't be getting romance, or a date night, or a long kiss goodnight. But maybe I can instead reap happiness from sowing the seeds of kindness towards others. That would be ok with me.