Here's today's food for thought- when and where is it appropriate to tell your significant other that you love them? The logical answer would be "when you know" or maybe "after 3 months of dating" or even "after they say it first". As I have outlined in this blog however, my life is a wee bit short on the logic and heavy on the non-sensical.
Ben had not told he loved me yet although I had blurted it out to him months ago via Facebook (also a funny/humiliating story). We had now been dating nearly 10 months (or on and off for 19 years, depending on how one looked at it) and it was definitely a big pink elephant in room- well, at least in the little room in my head.
One recent Saturday we were having a 'date night' which ended up as nearly 2 hours in Home Depot while he looked for the perfect work light (yawn). Did you know that the definition of work light means no filament? No, I didn't either. Fascinating.
Around 9 pm we went to get food and the only place open was a family Mexican restaurant just off of the freeway. Needless to say it was not the most romantic mood setup. First we order drinks followed toast with shots for 'not killing eachother". I had a large mouthful of pico de gallo salsa (literally stuffing my face), it was 9 pm after all when he said "Honey, I have to tell you something". I thought he was going to say "We need to go back to Home Depot for another light" or "I think the local football team is great this year" (bigger yawn).
"Mmm hmm?" I replied through the chips and salsa.
"I love you" he said looking me straight in the eye.
At this point I choked and spit salsa right at him and said "Over Mexican?".
I know, like it would have made sense over pizza or curry, right?
Enter our enthusiastic waiter here with "Hola lovebirds, are you liking the foods?"
I then tried to recover by grabbing his hand and said my most sincere "thank you". Feeling it too cliche to say I love you back at him.
His reply? "I might regret saying that". Opps. The look I gave him made say he was kidding (about the regret, not the declaration of love).
I then tried to recover by grabbing his hand and said my most sincere "thank you". Feeling it too cliche to say I love you back at him.
His reply? "I might regret saying that". Opps. The look I gave him made say he was kidding (about the regret, not the declaration of love).
So my dear reader, here is my question for you- when is the right moment to say "I love you" for the first time? Is it over a candle lit table in a small bistro or while holding hands and gazing at the sunset? Or does it also count in a brightly lit ethnic restaurant after hours in a home improvement store? Better yet, it is more or less authentic in either of these situations? I'm still trying to figure it all out but for now I have a big grin on my face as I drive past the neon signs of family Mexican restaurants.
~Single and 37
