You Go First

Recently I had a slumber party weekend with my oldest daughter in her cute, one bedroom apartment.  Friday night we stayed up watching movies.  Saturday morning she needed to go to work so I slept in, had breakfast, watched a movie and read a business book before she got home shortly after 2:00.

When she came home we went to a place called "Simply Cats" where she volunteers.  This is a facility that rescues cats and offers them for adoption.  It is an amazing facility for cats and people alike and it was fun to visit the different "apartments" and chat with the cats.  Purring all around.

When I came home, Jana was her ever-cheerful, bright and fun self.  One of the things I love about her is her always-cheery disposition.  She acted glad to see me.

Jana needed to go to the library to return some books that were due so I volunteered to ride downtown with her.  She drove and as we rode she said, "I want to hear all about your weekend and I want to tell you about mine.  You go first, and don't leave anything out."

To Jana life is about experiences.  Whenever she is asked what she wants for a birthday or Christmas or Mothers' Day she always chirps, "Oh, give me an experience we can share."  For that reason it's not at all surprising that she wanted to talk about our respective weekends.  But the loving thing is that she offered, "You go first, and don't leave anything out."

On our first date many years ago we went to a young single adult dance.  Due to a misunderstanding (or more accurately, misunderhearing on my part) we arrived one hour early for the dance.  That normally spells disaster for a first, generally awkward, date.

But Jana turned a potentially awkward experience into an endearing one when, as we climbed into my little Opal Cadet, she started asking questions about me, my interests, my life.  Pretty soon I had my sketch pad out, talking about my passion for drawing.

Always interested in others and in their stories, over the course of a wonderful marriage Jana has opened my eyes to the wonder and gift of listening.  My life has been enriched as I've learned to value and reflect that gift, learning from a master.

But when we get together and have stories to tell Jana continues to share her loving thing when she begins, "You go first."  And she still acts as if what I have to say somehow means something.

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IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMENT ON ONE OF THE LOVING THINGS, SMALL OR GRAND, THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM SOMEONE IMPORTANT TO YOU.