Beyond the dirt pox

Today's theme... "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5


I came in from working in the yard. It’s my favorite hobby. I love playing in the dirt, making things grow, though likely I’ve said that before. There’s something extremely satisfying about the entire process for me. I like the lovely estate gardens, all ordered and neat, but I prefer my own to be more like me. A little wild, somewhat unruly, with unexpected surprises here and there, but beneath it all there’s an amazing order to it, though it takes effort to see it.

So smelling like a giant coconut had attacked me from my sun screen, dotted here and there with clumps of dirt from my head down I walked into the house for a drink. I opened the door and took my shoes off outside, spilling about a yard of dirt out of each as I did, peeled off my filthy socks and hopped up the stairs. I walk around the corner to the kitchen and Matt is standing there grinning at me. I give him the one eyebrow raise in question, and he responds with a grin “You’re so cute.” I look down at myself, wearing a bikini top, and a pair of his old boxers for shorts with lumps of dirt stuck to my skin here and there like some sort of pox and burst out laughing. He nods grinning, kisses my dirt covered face and off he goes.

It’s funny, the timing of it. I had just gotten off the phone with a dear friend. We spoke of life, of love, of what love truly is and I am overjoyed she has finally found it. One step at a time babe, told ya! In time she will gain the perspective to see that this was no miracle, or some grace but purely that someone as amazing as her should be loved. And love is as we discussed more than loving you when you look your very best, but when you look…well like you have dirt pox and smell like a coconut. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the best part, the loving all of you, the good the bad, the sick, the dirty, the coconutty. The majesty they find in the curve of your hip, and the softness of your skin, that’s love, even when the hip is dirty and the softness is flaking onto the kitchen floor because it’s partly mud. How that’s cute exactly I’m not really sure, but if he thinks so, I’m good with that.

I remember once my friend Mark told me that even after 20 years with his wife he rolls over upon waking and looks at her and thinks, “Yippee there’s a naked woman laying next to me!” I laughed my butt off, because that sort of amazement and wonder, joy and sheer honesty in all of it. She was there the night before, but the fact she’s still there, with him, and he feels so lucky to be there with her. I find not only endearing, but fantastic. We’re all moving on in age, none of my friends are 20 anymore, and we’re all creeping into, near or towards 40 and beyond. To find that he still thinks that every morning stuck with me, for two reasons, one because I wonder if he’s ever told her that, and two because even if he hasn’t, it’s still awesome he thinks it.

As for Darleen, the woman finally coming into her own who has found that chin up, shoulders back is more than a physical thing, and her mind has begun to take the same direction I am truly overjoyed. Enough so that I sit dirt poxed and filth covered at my desk to write this no less. *waves some coconutty smell at those reading this*

While I’m quite sure she’s blushing furiously as she reads this, since well everyone tells me everything, I’ve been the keeper of secrets for my entire life, though I really don’t know why. I told her it’s why I had such a high confession rate. We shared a laugh and she conveyed her amazement that he loved her, all of her, bits and pieces and parts and while I can hear her saying, “Oh no..” I won’t convey her secrets here they aren’t mine to tell. All I can say is…He darn well better! That’s love, all of it, the silly stuff, the stuff that makes you blush days later and the stuff that makes you smile. While I have not met this fellow yet, I expect that any man that can make her finally see herself for who she truly is underneath all the other stuff is someone well worth having in her life. Being seen under all that other stuff, be it the shadow of the past, dirt pox, or both is something that everyone should know, experience and treasure.

*wanders off shedding small bits of dirt to go back to the garden with a grin*