Worries, Dreams and Ideas

  Sometimes life inspires me.  Not always in ways that I would expect or seek.. and in that there is a certain kind of magic.  Of course there are the things that never fail to inspire or amaze, but sometimes the world around us, our children,  June, or just a pretty song can bring me clarity in the midst of an admittedly stressful life.  Our lifestyle aside, we are like a lot of working class American families and in today's world there is a lot a man has to consider.

I try to be thankful for the things that we have and not take for granted the small comforts and blessings that modern life affords. I try to remember that my family has indeed been blessed and we are light years ahead of where we were last year at this time.  Still even considering our numerous blessings, and how far we have come as a family and as a couple... Sometimes I worry that I don't quite measure up as a father.... (Yes, HoHs can have insecurities)  June has often reassured that I generally do a good job as father and husband,  but sometimes I guess that's just it, I want to give my family the best of everything, I know that that's perhaps not the most logical or even pragmatic view,  but in light of the recent tragedies and it being the holiday season, family has become even more important than ever.

 June and I have both often talked about our childhood experiences and we both agree that we want to give our children a better experience than either of us had. We try to give the kids the kind of positive environment that encourages and inspires growth and communication.

"Children have the right to dream, what will they become?  Where will they grow?  Will they know peace and satisfaction? When a child becomes an adult they learn what they where able to become and no matter how they wish they can no longer claim childhood innocence... No matter what let it be said that children have the right to dream." ~ BTL


We have also talked about our own future and many a lights-out conversation has included sharing our own romantic vision of life after the military, life after finishing school and of course the daunting task of relocating to new quarters.  We won't share all of our ideas but the discussions have in fact illuminated several interesting ideas and possibilities. This kind of soft, intimate conversation is something that I never had even in previous relationships and I never grow tired of it. The quiet hours when we share, communicate and inspire each other are a vital element of our interpretation of TTWD and D/s.

 Normally in my post I share a theme or idea with you, and I guess this post is not so very different. I would encourage you all to find or make a special time of day for you to share your worries, dreams and ideas.  Who knows what you might discover or learn.  Much of what I have learned and shared with June has come from this very special time of day. There is a wonderful warmth that comes from observing the beauty of her inspiration and the sparkle of her eyes when a new and wonderful idea illuminates her mind and lights the wick of her imagination.

Her POV: 

I don't think that Ward understands how simple are my needs, or the needs of our children. Tonight, we were all in the kitchen, making cookies, Daddy participating, sitting at the table with the boys, forming and decorating cookies, me hands in cookie dough, mixing...and weeping. I brought a tray to the table and wrapped my sticky arms around him and kissed him, and thanked him for giving me what I always wanted. Who could want more than that single, gorgeous, poignant moment of family togetherness.

In the living room, the boys playing video games with him, while I made the pizza for dinner, and once I popped it in the oven, came to join them till the buzzer rang. The youngest came and hugged me and said "Thanks for choosing him, mom. I love him, and I'm glad he's here with us." How much more perfect? He worries that he does... who knows what kind of magic...but he has performed the greatest of magics in healing three hearts, in giving us what we never thought we would have... someone to love us like that.

I love that time of night, it's the time that is just ours, no phone calls,no door bells, no  TV, no raucous laughter and play from the boys and their friends. Just he and I, touching, talking, kissing - yum - then spooning, his arm tight around me, our fingers intertwined. The dark can give that extra bit of courage for the difficult subjects. But it always ends well and sweetly, closer for the moment, the touch, the tenderness, the time we devote to being us.

Long before I knew him, I loved the idea of him. Now, he's here, and I love him with the fullness of my being, in a way that words can never express. I always will. 

Things I struggle with (HoH Edtion)

                                           

   I'm not a perfect person... no there are many things I wish that I didn't do. In this most beautiful journey I have learned so very much, not just about June and her needs, but my own as well. I have discovered that there is much more to me than even I would have dared to guess. June has been, and continues to be my greatest inspiration, my greatest blessing and the greatest gift the Lord has ever seen fit to grace me with. She makes me want to be a better man, and sometimes this leads me to take examine my heart of hearts and perform the sometimes difficult task of working on some of the things that I struggle with. I'd love to be able to say that I've handled everything with grace, dignity and an unselfish heart.  Sadly, this has not always been so. I have had to learn that being the head of home comes with a lot of responsibility and to fall short in this responsibility is to fail his family.

                                                

  I guess it doesn't exactly make me unique or shocking, but I worry about being the best dad I can be for our children. I'm sure that you recall June mentioning that our children are in fact special needs and this can be a challenge in the best of times. They are beautiful, loud, boisterous, active and engaging boys... I am loathe to admit it, but sometimes after work I find them challenging. Sometimes all I want to do is come in give June a kiss and a hug, sit down and watch Sportscenter.

I have learned that being a good dad means taking time to listen, and to be involved in a child's education. When I came into June's life, I knew that I needed to make a positive impact on the life of these two beautiful boys,  they were hungry for male energy, they needed discipline, love and the encouragement of seeing a happy, healthy relationship. I hope that one day they can say that I've done a good job of raising them into good men who are productive members of our society. I worry that sometimes I am too stern with them, and that I push them a little hard, but at the end of a long day seeing their smiling faces lifts my heart.

                                                             

                                                

  

June's love and affection have changed me for the better and as stated previously, she makes me want to be a better man for her. I recall the times when I could have used better words, or found a way to be more supportive, and I cringe at my rapidity and my  lack of sensitivity.  I want to be the man the Lord would have me be for her. To lead a family, to be a good father, a good husband is not enough... I want to be the best I can be for them and I hope that I grow to be a better leader and a better example.  The love of family is a sweet, spicy drug that I am addicted to... it's sultry essence flows through me and inspires my deepest heart.

                                                       

Discipline in this community often times has a negative or corrective connotation, but for us it is not always so.  For us discipline is  a choice, it is bond, it is that which draws us together, what helps us overcome our greatest obstacles and ensures we stay on a path that speaks to our love as a couple and family.  Sometimes this means recognizing the subtle signs of her stress at the end of the work day.  Sometimes it means her taking my hand and giving me the chance to shake off bad emotions before they can creep into our happy home. Sometimes, knowledge doesn't make things any easier does it?  Knowing what one needs or what one needs to do doesn't always make things any easier or fun.... but that's the beauty of it.  Seeing her smile, seeing that radiance... She's my reason and her love inspires even when task seems long at days end. She also knows me, she knows my heart and she knows that sometimes, stress can get the better of me.  Thankfully she doesn't let that happen any more than I do... many times she has put the hairbrush in my hand and lain across my lap, somehow knowing what I needed before I did.

 

                                                  

I know that I don't deserve any of this, my family is a gift, the highest act of grace from the Lord above and even when I struggle, even when I don't handle things well their love humbles and blesses me.  Even through stress and doubt and the scars of the past I continue to learn as much as I teach.It is an honor to be a teacher, a protector, a provider, to the finest woman in this land, and the two best kids anyone could ever ask for.  It isn't always an easy job, but in it I find my finest hours and my deepest blessings

                                               

Her POV
*Smiles*
I think that my Man is much too hard on himself. But I think that that is part of the magic that keeps us each serving the other. I am grateful for the things that he brings to us, and I completely understand wanting to be the best that he can be...I also want to be the best that I can be for him and for our family. He was not used to children. He was used to grown men who were pretty much unquestioningly obedient... and me, who is the same, lol. He had expressed this concern to me, so we worked out a system. I will not correct him in front of the children. I believe in presenting a united front. If he kind of starts shifting to the Navy Boot Camp kind of child-rearing method, I simply lay a hand on his arm, and he dials back. I think that's pretty awesome.

 He has also changed me for the better. He has made me stronger. He has made me a better, more confident mother. He has made me happier. My therapist remarked on what a difference from when I started therapy to now, and going back over the charts and her notes and things, the change started when Ward entered our lives. The deeper we fell, the better things got. For the first time in my life, I know that someone truly loves me just because I exist, that he has my back. He provides me with love, safety, security, structure, support...simple things that I am only enjoying for the first time in my life. 

I have seen both of us blossom with joy. Neither of us was a very...relaxed or humor-filled person before. Now we love to laugh. We find humor in small things. And it is amazingly freeing to collapse into giggle fits, both of us with tears running out of our eyes. Our children love to watch, they love to participate, and they love to tease us. Our youngest things it's amazing to see us kiss. He gets the wryest look on his face, a big grin and says, "I guess you're gonna kiss now!", or "AGAIN?!" Yup! lol!

Discipline, as Ward says, is an integral part of our journey, of our dynamic. We don't see it as a negative ... we don't even see correction as a negative, frankly, as it serves to restore order and equilibrium and to clear the air. We view discipline as essential to maintaining an even keel, to keeping our roles well defined, to keeping the need to serve each other at the fore of our minds. If I need his help with stress, he gives it willingly, and it is his choice if this comes in the form of pleasure, or simply cuddling, or discipline. I do seem to interpret his signals equally as well, and I will offer whatever comfort he needs, be it a massage, some gentle caressing and cuddling, or offering him my bottom. I am his woman, I am his little girl, I am his submissive, I am his to use as he needs, his to use as he sees fit. 

I am by no means perfect. But somehow I am perfect for him. I fill the needs that have left him empty for a lot of his life. And he - he completes me in ways I never thought possible. No, he may not be perfect. But he IS perfect for me. He is everything I have ever dreamed of and thought out of reach. He is love and healing and learning. He's mine. And I thank God every moment of every day for him.

A Season for Giving Thanks

We're closing in rapidly on Thanksgiving here in the US (our Canadian friends celebrated 10-8-12), so naturally thoughts turn to the things for which we are thankful. OFM had a lovely post last week, Stardust Exposed by an Attitude of Gratitude, in which he talks about how to develop an attitude of gratitude.


I have always tried to be that way. I'm the odd one who calls to say - Hey, I just got great service! Or - Wow, that was the best meal I had in ages! I think people complain a lot and forget to give thanks. So, many years ago, I made the decision to recognize things that brought light. I also try to remember that while I don't have abundance, I have more than a lot of people.

When I want to grumble because I have to do another load of laundry (seriously, the stuff breeds! I can finish three loads a day, pull the last load from the dryer, turn around and the hamper is full again!), I instead give thanks that I have clothes to wash, our own washer and dryer (2nd hand but they work!), and a house to keep the clothes and appliances in. When I want to complain about cleaning, I remember instead to give thanks that I have a house to clean for my family. When I don't want to cook, I give thanks for the food, the cookware and the fuel that allows me to feed my family.

Our children have SPD, they are sometimes difficult to manage, overly loud, and melt down quite a bit. But they are beautiful, smart, they have smiles that light up the world, possess laughter in their souls that bubbles over like exuberant, refreshing water over river rocks, and brings joy and laughter to Ward and myself. And despite the challenges, and sometimes the downright discomfort they experience, they are the personification of joy, and our family would not be the same without them. They were my first experience with unconditional love. I give thanks to God for them- two of my three greatest gifts, because of who they are and because they came late in life with an ease that was a blessing. And they continue to bless us every day.




I thank our children for bringing joy and laughter into our lives. I thank them for teaching us to look at the world through fresh, unencumbered eyes. I thank them for showing us beauty in the mundane. I thank them for teaching me how to shed my inhibitions and just BE in this single moment of time. I thank them for teaching me that I know how to love with all of my heart and without fear. I thank them for teaching us patience, and for making us better people.






I give thanks that my God saw fit to bring Ward into our lives. I thought that I was destined to a life alone. Then came this man who loves me so completely, who doesn't ask me to change for him, but instead takes my hand and says "Come, grow with me."; this man who sees into my soul, and gives me what I need even when I don't know what I need. I thank him for loving perfectly imperfect me.

 

I thank my Ward for the simple things he does, every day, going to work, sitting down next to me and grabbing clothes out of the basket and helping me fold, taking the dishes out of my hand and saying - sit you cooked, for giving me a little bit of time every day to relax and have mommy time, for the occasional girl's day out, for taking time with the boys every single day, for massages (never had one before Ward), for foot rubs and for painting my nails, for doing the grocery shopping with me and helping with the bags and the putting away, wrapping his arms around me every night, for never letting me forget for one single moment that he appreciates the little things I offer him, and that he loves me fierce.


I thank my Ward for being everything that I need and more. I thank him for making me strong, and finding more in myself than I ever imagined I had inside. I thank him for his hand in mine. I thank him for loving me enough to provide discipline and correction to purge all that does not belong between us, for providing us with a clean slate and for his grace and forgiveness. I thank him for showing me the good inside myself and teaching me that I deserve love, and acceptance. I thank him for the gift of laughter. I thank him for the genuine joy that he brings.


I thank him for loving the children I brought into our relationship as if they were his own, and for the light I see in their eyes when they are with him, and the example that he provides to them, how to be a strong, valorous, compassionate, honorable, loving man. I thank him for the family that I have always longed for, and thought would always be just outside my grasp.

 I thank my God for the richness of friendship in this community. I thank Him for wealth that goes well beyond the material. I thank Him for enough - we may not have a lot - but we always have enough. I thank Him for a full heart, and love beyond imagination, I thank Him for light, and for lifting me up and letting me find my home.

We wish you peace and blessings today and every day.

HIS POV:
I am so very thankful for the opportunity, privilege and blessing to have such a beautiful family. I agree wholeheartedly with June on making it a point to thank people and services for exemplary service and attention to their craft. I have so much to be grateful for so many blessings that it is hard to begin.

- Our children light up our world and even with their exuberance, they are such a beautiful and bright part of our world... I love them as they are... they are my sons, and I love the opportunity to be a dad again. (long story, perhaps I'll post about it someday).

- Our love is a blessing beyond what I could ever ask for. I know that I don't deserve June, but the Lord's grace and abundance abound, every day is richer and brighter and I thank June so much for letting me be a part of something so beautiful that it defies words.

-  I thank the Lord yet again for the depth and richness that we share that is a world unto itself. June, I thank you for being the one to draw me out into the light, and help my heart heal so I could love again. I am thankful for every moment that we have shared along the way and I'd do it all again. A man could not ask for more than the gifts that you have given me.

We are truly blessed and we want to thank each and every one of you guys that read and even our lurkers, for sharing the journey and much needed insight along the way!  Thank you one and all and we wish the Lord's many blessing on you and yours!

Spoiling, Pampering, Relaxation...

                                              
I think one of the things that June and I both really enjoy about each other and our home is comfort. I look around and see comfort as a somewhat underrated concept today. There is something wonderful about cool, rainy days spent next to each other on the couch and in each others arms.  I'm a big man, I'm sure you've heard June reference this a couple of times, I am what you call built for comfort. I workout to keep myself in shape, but I'll be honest, I'll never be the poster boy for the ab rocker.... I was born to be a big guy and in so, I think I have a deeper appreciation for comfort, (enjoying it, causing it, etc) than most. I love  the warmth that comes from reading sitting up in bed, the way her head feels on my lap, or the way my head feels when it rests upon her breasts.  


I love to pamper June   (No not like that!!!)  In all seriousness though I love treating her to experiences that soothe the senses, hone her arousal and to showcase my devotion, dominance and loyalty to her and our relationship.  I am always looking for new ways and ideas to do this, but sometimes the classics are the best.





                                                          







                                          




                





- Manicure/Pedicure
- Full Body Massage (couples massage)
- A candle lit bath
- A relaxing spanking (yes, they can be quite soothing at times)
- I love to cook, so I love making her favorite meals and desserts (even the edible kind!)


                                           
      




                                               



Attempting to spoil June has become something of an obsession for me. I really do think it further enhances an already incredibly strong bond. I know every inch of her from the the longest hair on her head to the tip of her little purple-painted toes.  Every day offers a chance to enjoy each other in a full warm way that celebrates the comfort that we bring each other that has nothing to do with material things, or the latest and greatest gadgets or toys.  It's the rain on our roof, it's walking barefoot on the beach... It's watching the kids rake the leaves in the yard into a giant pile only to jump in them.
  
                                                              


I would encourage you to do something comfortable this weekend. Guys, give her a foot rub, and take the kids for a few hours. Ladies, rub his back and bring him his favorite snack... cuddle together on the sofa after the kids are in bed and watch a movie... or just talk like we do. It will be time well spent..I promise!



                                                                    
                                                                        
Her POV
I love doing things for Ward, as you may have gleaned from the pages of this blog. I love to make his favorite meals, I like to have things ....well at least semi-orderly (c'mon 2 active boys - this will never be Better Homes and Gardens, lol). I like him to walk home to clean laundry and a hot meal - he works hard. I enjoy how he wraps the little things around him, really appreciates the efforts that I make, like the mantle of love they are intended to be.

Believe it or not, I have never been pampered till Ward. I have given many a massage and never been given one until Ward. I have never had time to myself, like he provides. I've never been commanded (love you, Daddy) to go and do something for me and stay out of the house till dinner - that he prepared. I've never had anyone say, give me that dust rag, give me those dishes, you go read/take a bath/have some you time. It has taken some getting used to, this reciprocity.

Our children see it, they love it. And I love what it models for them. It models how to be a man, a gentleman, how to treat a lady, how to have a relationship and reciprocity. How to have a joy that it has taken me a lifetime to find.

Oh, and Daddy does indeed make the most luscious Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, and chocolate macadamia nut brownies that are the perfect apres spanking treat ;)

When I was a young boy, my imagination took me to....

When I was a young boy my imagination took me to heights unknown and I dreamed the grandest dreams.
Children have the right to dream, and dreams, they look to the future with an exuberance and anticipation and appetite that they may never see again, Once a boy becomes a man, he learns what he could become and he can no longer go back to being a boy...  Yes, children have the right to dream.



  Who I am is a question that haunted me for many years, throughout my teen years and my twenties, who I am was a question that often brought fear, uncertainty and unconfidence. Like so many others, my life has not always been kind and truth be told, I haven't always made the best decisions. This wonderful lady that I call mine has been my greatest blessing and I thank the Lord everyday for her. She is my source of comfort, my lover, my greatest friend, and my helper and my mate.  The beautiful gift of her submission gives me a confidence that I never knew and it inspires me to be my best.  Her love makes me a better partner, a better father and a better leader for our family unit.  

That question that haunts me?  I look back at the soft spoken, studious gentleman and I think I can answer

I am:

- A proud father      

- A teacher

- A provider

- A friend

- A lover

   

I think this life, this lifestyle, TTWD has given me many things I may have never discovered what was waiting inside, Our love blossoms and with every second of every day I pause to appreciate our considerable blessings.  We may not be on top of the financial heap, but I think what June and I share makes us one of the richest couples of all!

Her POV:
I have never been a woman who valued material things. Things just don't matter, I would be hard-pressed to name something that was purchased new - new to us, but not new. I'm a crafty dresser-upper. I have known people with measurable wealth, and the finest of possessions, and a pervasive sadness, loneliness and sometimes a coldness that is palpable. Ward and I are incredibly rich, it is luxuriant, and immeasurable. It is something that emanates from our family and shines like a beacon. It creates a warmth that other people see and feel and gravitate towards.

Our children were not born of our great love, I brought them with me into our relationship. Ward embraced them as his own, and they have a mutual admiration society going on. They were missing a positive, strong, principled man to emulate. Then Ward came into our lives and everything changed. I was no longer alone and our children... they have the finest example to pattern themselves on. I have always been proud of them, I am so incredibly proud of my man, and of the men we will give to this world.

And my Ward? He is most definitely my greatest blessing. He has a gentleness, a sweetness, a compassion that draws me out of the tightly walled fortress behind which I had hidden myself. With him, I feel myself blossoming - every single day. And when I walk into our home of repurposed things, painted and covered and pre-loved, I feel the richness of the air. Then I lay eyes on my Daddy, sitting like a king on our sofa, our children doing stunts then climbing into his lap, or clambering for him to 'carry me!' or 'roll me up!', and I hear the elegant music of their laughter mixing and dancing around me and I know that I am wealthy beyond belief. I would not trade my life for anything in this universe.

Examining Submission Journaling Exercise - Day 30

Is your need to submit being met? If not, or if your situation changed, do you think that you could continue in your life and still be happy/content if you were never able to express your submission in the way that feels best to you again? What makes submission special to you?

For the first time in my life my need to submit is being met beyond my wildest dreams. It is the most fulfilling, uplifting, feminizing feeling to be able to give him my submission and have it received with awe and gratitude. Then I want to give more and he gives more and it is this absolutely gorgeous, growing cycle of symbiosis.

Nothing will come between Ward and myself. We are too committed. Could I be happy without being able to submit? No. I find incredible fulfillment being Daddy's girl. I have honestly never in my life been as happy, as fulfilled, laughed as much or with as much abandon as I do with Daddy.

What makes submission special to me is having my submission accepted, and seen as the gift that it is, by a man of honor, with a strong gift for leadership, gentleness, kindness, compassion, empathy, and vision.

Whatever you do in life

Whatever you do in life will be
insignificant but it is very
important that you do it because...
You can't know...
You can't ever really know the
meaning of your life...
And you don't need to...
Just know that your life has a meaning...
Every life has a meaning... whether
it lasts one hundred years or one
hundred seconds...
Every life... And every death... changes the
world in its own way...
Ghandi knew this. He knew his life
would mean something to someone,
somewhere, somehow. And he knew
with as much certainty that he
could never know that meaning...
He understood that enjoying life
should be of much greater concern
then understanding it.
And so do I.
You can't know...
So don't take it for granted...
But don't take it too seriously...
*Don't postpone what you want...
*Don't leave anything misunderstood...
*Make sure the people you care about know...
*Make sure they know how you really feel...
Because just like that...
IT COULD END

- Tyler Hawkins - REMEMBER ME
***********************************
I love this ending monologue from the movie Remember Me. Very sage advice.

Affirmations

I had a really bad day yesterday. It started off okay. Then I read something that took me back to a very bad place in my life, to the place I talked about in a previous post about abuse. I was full out little, totally regressed to my 6-year-old self. And a really strange thing happened - the thing I read made me afraid of someone - a friend's Daddy, and I didn't know why. I didn't really understand what I was feeling, I just knew I was feeling it.

Then came that magic time of the day, and talking to Daddy. Daddy is seamless, he saw little me, and he went full out Daddy. He asked why I was afraid of my friend's Daddy. I said I didn't know, but what if he didn't like me and then didn't want my friend to be my friend any more, cause I was bad or weird or _____ (fill in the blank). Daddy said, anyone who knows me knows I am a good girl. Any one who knows me knows I am a respectful girl. And that is why I am his girl. Yup....he made it all better.


I talked to another "little" friend this morning and told her some of the lovely things Daddy had said. And I told her I had actually cried over the things that had happened so long ago - I never had cried about them before. And I guess that was because for the first time I felt safe. For the first time I knew someone would catch me when I fell....because surely I would fall. She said she was jealous of the affirmations Daddy gives me. So I asked  if she could tell her Daddy that that was important to her. And she thought that was something she could try to do.

 
Then I thought a few moments, and sent another text. I told her not to forget that Daddies (Tops/Doms/Masters) need affirmations, too. I tell Daddy all the time, how important he is to me, how much I love him, that he is my hero. I tell him how he helps me. I thank him....for everything...he does so much for me. When he knows things are important to me, he goes out of his way to do them. It delights me, I thank him.






I think he is devastatingly handsome. Sometimes I'll see a picture and smile and my heart will flutter. I'll send him a text to tell him, "Dang, Daddy, just caught a glimpse of a picture and got the vapors!" One of my personal fears is not being enough. Sometimes Daddy worries that he can't give me all the things he thinks I need. So I tell him, all I need is him. He is home. Doesn't matter if we're in a cardboard box, a trailer or a nice modest house (don't need a mansion....too much to clean), if he is there it is perfect.

 

All I need is someone to walk in the door and smile and have 'home' show on their face just because I'm there. Or wrap their arms around me while I cook, or do laundry, or garden. I need someone whose voice will be full of delight, simply because they are talking to me. I need someone who will sit on the floor and play a game or watch a movie with me and the boys. I need someone who loves us, just because. He smiled and said then I'll just keep doing that, I'll just keep showing you. And I smiled and said that's all that I need.

We have to remember, no matter what role our partner fulfills, they are human. They need, too. They need to be filled and feel appreciated. They need to know how very important their presence in our lives is. Just because he is a dominant doesn't mean he is bottomless. Lots of times they experience  things in their day that they try to shield us from. They need those soft, sweet words and gentle touches as much as we do. We have to keep the energy flowing, if we don't we stagnate.

So the next time you look at your partner and feel that flutter, or your breath catches in your throat, or your blood rushes, or you sadness or anxiety disappears, the next time he touches you and you bite your lip, and get goosebumps, tell him, and thank him for being there.

Elements

I would like to post a quick apology to everybody, especially June, I haven't really been able to give my Point of View on a lot of the posts here. For various reasons, life has kept me on my toes lately. 

I would like to talk today about some of the elements of life and the sometimes desperate need for balance and affirmation.

Purpose - Purpose gives us all that  reason to get out of bed, it gives us that song in our heart and our reasons for reasons so to speak

Love - Love encompasses all that we do, in this life we live, I have no agenda, no backup, no ulterior motives, just complete and unconditional and undying love. In all it's many forms,  I long to give and receive love in grand measure.

Strength - Strength is a vehicle of sorts, always to guide, always to protect never to intimidate or abuse, strength gives us the ability to  do that which we and ours need done.

Passion - Now this one is a personal favorite of mine... Passion is that fire that ignites deep within... it is that spark, nay, that explosion that pushes us to the pursuit of that which we hold dearest.. It is the passions of Men and Women that truly drive them... Passion does have it's problems, but we will talk about that later.

Laughter - Perhaps underrated, laughter is so very important for so very many reasons, I've laughed more in the last six months with June than I have in my entire life.... Laughter shuts the day away and brings us closer.

Affection - The verbal and physical expression of love, delight, arousal, appeal and unity...I adore June and I know she feels the same. Showing our love and delight in each other can only make our bonds stronger.

Bond/Unity - That indescribable something that we delight in - finishing each others sentences, knowing the little things that mean the most... sharing a favorite song, the little words, the soft touches, the life we live for not ourselves, but our relationships... and so much more.. .it's a bit hard to describe that...

These are just the basics, and I'm sure if I thought, I could post another hundred or so elements that make relationships not just good but great, but I wanted to start at the foundation. Elements are the fabric of the universe, and even so, the fabric of relationships... Things change and evolve over time but not the truest fabric of a strong love. Over time our bonds grow only  more powerful and that is my fondest wish for you and yours as well!

Well ladies and gentleman this sailor is all typed out... I need to go and rest,  happy rest of the week and weekend to you all!

Her POV:
Ward had his personal moment a few posts ago, and I guess this will turn out to be mine, because no matter how I slice it, or dissect it, it all comes back to the same thoughts.

I cannot say that my life has had no purpose, that I have not known love, that I have not been possessed of a terrible strength, that there has not been some measure of passion, some laughter (though many more tears), a great deal of affection, and a certain bond in my life before Ward. I'm a mother, I have two beautiful children. But those elements in that kind of love are to an extent finite. If I do the job of mother to an admirable degree, I give those gifts to them so that they can give them to their partners. This love has a season, and I am meant to be replaced. And that is as it should be.

I have, outside of being a mother, never in my life experienced these emotions. And I have cried the tears of emptiness, I have been so hollow I have echoed and ached at the coldness. I had pretty much given up on finding that piece that would fill all the hollows and allow me to be complete. And I guess the old saying is true, when you stop seeking, love will find you.

In the quietest of moments appears a man, beautiful in spirit, with a quiet, gentle strength. He shines with a light that is exquisitely beautiful. I look at this man and find acceptance, and surprise, and other things begin to stir. Admiration grows, broken lollipop moments become common, exploration, and one day a declaration, I think I could fall in love with you. And I you. And slowly it grows and then the realization that I no longer walk alone.

And now I have my own song, a purpose that will be mine all my days to treasure he who treasures me. The love that I give is accepted and returned a thousandfold, with no agenda other than to elevate each other. It is living it flows from one to the other and grows and washes over us and heals and encompasses and shines. I draw my strength from him, and I give him my own. I do things I never dreamed I could because of him. I burn with many kinds of passion for him, and for our family, renewed and strong. As Ward said, I have never known as much laughter in the whole of my life as I have experienced with him. There is joy in sharing and in loving and being loved, of accepting unconditionally and being accepted, of treasuring and being treasured. There is a warmth that shines in my soul for Ward, pure unadulterated affection, and a bond that grows stronger by the moment. There is a need for small things, to lay my hands on his chest, to rest with my ear against his chest and hear his heartbeat, to lace my fingers in his, to look up into his most beautiful eyes and see that smile that makes me thrill every single time.

Simple things, elemental, but the elements together define a living breathing, growing love for which I bend my knees and bow my head to my creator for gifting to this once very weary soul. I love you, Daddy, you are my treasure.