"Chinese food."
"What??"
"Yeah. Chinese food. If you think about it, it's brought us a lot of joy over the years. Yep. Chinese food."
So. Chinese food it is.
Jeffrey and I were married nearly ten years before Sloane was born. Ten happy, adventure-filled years. Ten years of establishing habits. Sloane arrived at the same time we each began our second career. (We're both public school teachers.) As you can imagine, we had quite a bit to adjust to. We used to be the couple at the midnight movie once or twice a week. We took road trips with no planning, two toothbrushes, and some fresh underwear.
Enter one beloved, precious, schedule-bound baby. Enter two demanding, work-filled jobs. Our life changed. And fast. A lot more than our movie-going habits changed, but over time we found that midnight movies were one of the things we missed most.
Change happens. Always. You have two choices. 1) pout and be dissatisfied. 2) adapt and be happy.
Here's where the Chinese food comes in.
Without ever really making a plan, we've developed a new version of our old movie habit. About once a week or so, Jeffrey drives the 15 minutes into town for Chinese takeout. I usually blog and pick a movie. We snuggle up on our bed with Chinese, lots of covers, a cat, and the remote control. We get dinner and a movie for less than $15.00. Plus, we get to wear our pajamas.
Adapt and be happy.
You were right, Jeffrey. Tonight I'm thankful for garlic chicken, crab rangoon, and an old favorite. Not forgetting the lovely man who is always the one to drive in to town and who never forgets the fortune cookies.
Chinese food image by long.shot.
13 comments:
What a beautiful story this is and what a loving husband you have.
I love you
I love your stories
You are so blessed to have a child in the home.
The empty nest is no fun
Just lovely. My husband and I became parents late in life after being together for a few years and developing just those same habits you spoke about. You are SO RIGHT about adapting and turning it into something new.
You have an awesome attitude about life.
such a tender happy story!
what a wonderful story of love. I feel so fortunate to have met such a tender hearted person here on the internet. I love your stories, your attitude towards life , the way you are your husband are so deeply in love and the way you raise your child and teach your students. You are a special lady who touches many.
Again. What a wonderful man. You know, of course, what a wonderful life you have?
:) Debi
i knew i wanted to come here and comment but i didn't know i would find a post that has kept me smiling for 5 minutes already. i like this story of adaptation! that you have found a way to hold close those private rituals of love and romance is so wonderful! plus your positive attitude shines so brightly in this post.
p.s. thanks for your recent comment on the photographs of my sisters. the suggestion of framing them those as gifts never occurred to me and i will think about that. you give such generous encouragement my friend :)
XO
i love it Relyn ! you must be so happy on these special Chinese nights..You two are so cute!
:-)
Happy Thanksgiving dear Relyn !!
Thank you so much for all your wonderful messages today...it was such a treat to see Relyn all down my email! Chinese food is my sister's least favorite, so for me chinese food is the memory of special nights with mama and papa as a little girl. They'd send my sis somewhere else and for one night they would celebrate me over chicken with cashews and egg rolls. (of course, they celebrated her on another night over burgers!)
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
One of the first posts I ever read on Come Sit by my Fire is one about making lemonade. Here is another shining example of your positive attitude!
I am thankful for the oasis of sanity you present to us through your blog!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your entire family!
LOVE that! That is something to be grateful for! We are actually ditching a traditional turkey this year and going for Dim Sum!!! I love Chinese food :)
What does your fortune cookie say tonight? I could say the same except that Mark always remembers the crispy fried soup topping noodles. We are such lucky ducks!
I started my Chinese food ritual by myself (my first, hardest, and most delicious job being in a Chinese restaurant) and really had no appreciators of it (romantically, that is) until The Boy.
Now we live directly across the street from a half-way decent Chinese food place, where I don't have to memorize the phone number because I can read the number off their awing as I look out my living room window.
So when we are too tired to move, and too hungry to ignore it, The Boy or I flip to see who will cross the street to get our mu shu pork. But either way, being tired and cuddly with a spread of Chinese food before you is awesome.
I'm glad you and your boy have something very similar!
The only nice thing about being away from your blog for a little while is getting the chance to catch up! ;-)
Post a Comment