Public Service Announcement — what you are about to read is a combination of self-pity hidden in a syrupy-sweet tale about a husband trying to give his wife a compliment. Reading this post may cause “eye-rolling,” “sighing,” and utterances of “oh, good grief.” If these side effects continue for more than four hours, please consult a better blogger for immediate relief.
Public Service Announcement for Wives — if your husband is a fan of pin-up girls from 1940-1950, please do not let him view this blog. Below, you will see several pictures of popular pin-ups from that era. It is not the intention of this blogger to cause any husband’s eyes to wander to women who are now either in their 80s or dead. Nope — not her intention at all.
People that know me in “real life” know that I don’t have the greatest self-esteem. I chalk it up to my 75 pound post-high school weight gain (oh my GOSH, did I actually write that for everyone to see!?!?!?!). When I look in a mirror, which doesn’t happen any more than it absolutely has to, I rarely see anything worth bragging about. Instead, I fixate on the stupid acne (WHY won’t it go away), the multiple chins, and the other “lovely” side affects of PCOS (Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome).
The other day, however, my husband made a comment that made me forget all of these negatives for a few minutes. He gave me a specific, wonderful little compliment . . . one that I’ve thought about several times since.
The Setting: One normal, mundane evening in Houston. The Hubby and I are sitting in our living room, enjoying the silence.
Suddenly, I could feel Hubby’s eyes boring into me as I worked on the laptop. After a few minutes of ignoring him, I finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Me: WHAT?
Hubby: I finally figured it out!
Me: What’s that?
Hubby: What you look like. You’ve always reminded me of something & I’ve been trying to figure it out since we were dating.
Me: Well — what is it?
Hubby: You look like one of those pin-ups from the 40s and 50s.
He was serious! To my husband, I am one of those sexy, provocative, curvy women. I’ll take that compliment — now, when I start to feel those nagging, negative thoughts, I remember what he said and visualize the comparison. Despite what I see, my husband sees something beautiful — something desirable. Where I see things to hide, he sees a woman to show off . . . a woman worth bragging about to his friends. He sees a different version of me than I do.
I’ve looked in the mirror since he made his sweet simile — I’ve tried to see the resemblance. I don’t know that I see it just yet. Maybe, someday, I’ll see a sexy reflection in my mirror and I’ll “get it.” But for now, I’m content with the knowledge that Hubby sees this version of who I am.
