Just to See You Smile --- Tim McGraw

I’m “involved” with an older man. But it’s not what you think. It’s not what anyone thinks. To be honest, I’m not even sure what I think. But this is what I know. He enjoys my company and I relish being in his. He seeks my opinion on matters of life and love and I am flattered. We can (and oftentimes do) talk about music for hours on end. We share a love for DC. He likes to teach me things and I love to learn from him. We love food and eating well. He listens to me and doesn’t judge me for my many, many failings.

People are skeptical. There’s got to be something going on – men, particularly older men, do not spend their time in the company of a young female for whom they do not have great intentions, if you know what I’m saying….nudge, nudge, wink, wink. (Okay, enough of that!) And sometimes, when they ask, a small part of me almost wants there to be something more interesting, more salacious, more downright scandalous going on than there is just for the sake of having a great story to tell. But this is the real truth of what is ‘going on’ with Older Guy and me. I shall illustrate with a short tale. Come along with me, won’t you?

This last week, he sent me a Facebook message to share some hilarious anecdote from his week and concluded his missive with a casual “How are you?” to which of course, I melodramatically responded “An emotional wreck”, as this particular day was the anniversary of my father’s death. He responds with a pretty sweet message about being grateful for the time I had with him and how I am blessed to have had someone worth missing and whatnot and then he ends with “Call me on the weekend”. Okay, sure. So the weekend rolls around and I call him and at first he can’t remember why he’d asked me to call, and he didn’t exactly say in his message, but I reminded him that it was in the message he’d sent about my dad, at which point things clicked.

He goes “Oh yes!!! I remember why I wanted you to call me. I wanted to make you laugh. That was all – I just wanted to make you laugh”

You heard it from the man. He just wants to make me laugh. And I love him for that.

What I'm Listening to Now: The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole
(I mean -- seriously -- need I say more?)