Sometimes I think we live in different worlds…

First of all, some background.

My husband and I met via internet dating and I have often been heard to say that he was my best internet shopping bargain ever! We have a mix of things that we share a liking for, like red wine and candlelight, walking in the countryside or along a river, somewhere close to nature.

We differ in some ways, too but that gives us a healthy balance. He loves jazz, I like some but not all of it. I like some quite poppy tunes, he does not!

I enjoy mucking around on Facebook, especially Facebook Reels which can be quite funny. My husband has no presence on social media at all. However, he supports me in my endeavours to get my blog and my podcasts out there. He listens and critiques – he is most often positive about my efforts – and lets me know if he thinks some posts could perhaps be improved upon. I appreciate his honesty and it makes me want to give my best for both my blog and my podcasts.

Because he doesn’t do social media, some of the terminology has totally passed him by. Tonight I was sitting chatting to him and I said, “I think I’ve figured out our ‘love language’. I think it is food!” To which he replied, “Our what??” So, he had never heard of love languages before. Then I had to explain what it meant. I admit, I had to google it myself to try to find an easy way to get across the meaning to him. So, when I said that our love language was food, I explained that I love to cook and my way of expressing my love for him can be in making his favourite foods. In fact a couple of his particular favourites I promised to make him in my wedding vows at least once a year.

In the explanation from Google, it named ‘Acts of Service’. This was something we learned from a Counsellor way back in our relationship as I tried to figure out this very English gentleman and he was trying to get to grips with this strange Kiwi bird. Lots of learning to be had there! She talked about ‘Acts of Service’ as an expression of love rather than using the words ‘I love you!’. We do this on a daily basis. He reminds me to take my medications, makes me a drink every night, checks my tyre pressures and water and oil in my car…. and lots more besides. I try to cook yummy things for him and support him to have his long walks that I currently can’t join him on. I support him to have time on his own, doing his own thing whether it be practicing his guitar, messing around on his computer – which I like to do too – or watching motor sport or footy on the telly. So many ways, we do ‘I love you’ plus we tell each other every day.

Yes, sometimes I think we come from different worlds. Different life experiences, different interests and brought up in different countries. But, we have both learned about each other over the years and have shared enjoyment of each other’s countries together. Yes, we are different and need to spend time doing things on our own, but we always come together at the end of the day in quiet companionship. We meet in the middle and make space for each other, but equally make time to be together.

I appreciate his quiet constancy, his support through thick and thin – and there has been a lot of it – through good times and hard times, through losses and through challenges that we overcome together.

So, sometimes I may say that he must have been living in a cave or under a rock. Sometimes he must think that I am the weirdest person he knows and he wouldn’t be far wrong. But what we don’t understand about each other we usually can accommodate and try to understand as best we can.

We are not perfect, but we are perfect for each other.

In that, we are blessed!

Have a listen to my podcast, for a few extra thoughts

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qnSHW9cz1YwgST8M2SzkE?si=LfPrPMfRTPCYbPfMhGJ2sQ