'Blessing...'

Ok. So this may sound off, because most times my written head-space is either entierly random, or excruciatingly angered. But seriously, I'm absolutely crazy about Val.
Her brothers travelled north to vist Val lately, and that was really good, because Val needed it. It was not so good for me however. I was having a moody day, the same day my nephew stole my room and I got tricked into helping my mom make Won-Tons. So by popular opinion, I screwed up a pretty important impression making weekend.
Those who know me well know that I'm outgoing and a decent conversationalist - when I want to be. When I don't want to be, I don't try, because I understand and live by the latin addage: Esse quam videri: 'to be rather than to appear'. If I'm bent out of shape, stay out my way and I'll straighten out on my own by tomorrow. I'll emerge from a cocoon a brilliant social butterfly.
I digress.
I didn't hang out with her brothers, I stayed at home. Needless to say: 'they weren't impressed'. That didn't much phase me. I knew if I did hang out with them they'd have been even less impressed. But then word got out about how 'unimpressive' I was, and that phased everyone but me, including Val.
I once wrote about what it is like to be a brother and to have to give a sister away. I think it was in February or March 2004. It's hard, because I think a narcissistic flare goes off in every brother: 'why wouldn't my amazing sister want to go out - or marry - someone more like me.' (FYI: I'm so different than Val's brothers.)
So at first, I was a little bothered that Val was getting heat from her family for dating a scuzz like myself. And then we didn't see each other for like three days, and then she completely floored me.
She's leaving the country for two weeks, and left me with an amazing reminder that she's not as phased as I thought she was. Ha! And no, it's not a hickee. And I struggle to think of how I can express that I'm even more crazy about her now than I was in August, and certainly more-so than January of last year. Particulary because work is busyier than ever before. the creativity (maybe not so romantic) that came up with Staff Dining Room challenges and all the rest (the last prize was an Air-Litter of Kittens) is suddenly put to a useful purpose but I wish I could just stop it and play for a while.

Val is so smart. Her personality is attractive enough that it melted a heart that was turning to stone, relationally anyway. She has integrity, a sense of humour, an amazing smile. She knows that when the sun hits her just right I can't take my eyes off of her. Her faith is solid, her mind is sanctified, but still gritty and earthy. I remember when we first starting going out all I could think of was that 'she's so cool because she doesn't mind that I smoke a pipe and she knows more about Gideon than I could remember'. She drives like a boy; that is to say, she doesn't drive like a sissy or a maniac. She appreciates good music, she doesn't care for city living. She hates eggs, but brings them to my mom when she comes back from home.
We're not obnoxiously 'together', because we refuse to call each other Hun-ee(!) as official titles. She plays nicely with everyone, unlike her boyfriend sometimes. Ha! She also listens to reason very well. She thinks well for herself, she knows ridiculous 80's songs, she wears somewhat unattractive orange, high-water pants comfortably. She once made cinammon buns that I was supposed to make because I had to run to a meeting. She has an incredible memory, she considers others a lot. She is amazing, and I dare even say that she's a blessing, despite it's trite sound in my mouth.
All in all, I think Adam saw in Eve some of what I'm seeing in Val. And I don't expect anyone else to understand this, because it's so relative. But yeah, I love Val.
So there.