I can remember being 19 years old, running from the car to a bookstore with my boyfriend in the pouring down rain. He yelled “Hop on my back!” I gleefully ran full speed and hopped onto his back and he ran as fast as he could through the downpour. We laughed until our bellies hurt under the protection of the covered porch of the shop. We were with a group of friends and someone shouted: “God, you guys are too happy!”
Too happy? What? That’s a thing? I thought that was the most absurd thought. You can’t be too happy with someone, can you? We were 19 at the time, and I was just so smitten with my boyfriend I couldn’t see straight, and I also couldn’t see that life could get any better. Fast forward, and we are now in our mid-30s and if we are running in the rain, it’s with four kids in tow and we don’t look nearly as romantic. But yes, we are still that happy. Most days.
Facebook, Instagram, any type of social media, I constantly see people belittling relationships. Just last week, I saw someone post “I can’t stand to see people posting about their significant other on here. Why can’t you just tell them in person? It’s ridiculous. You’re being a showoff.”
Can I just disagree for one quick second? I actually (call me crazy) but I DO enjoy seeing other people happy. Is that outlandish? Is that crazy to enjoy seeing other people still in love? Or do they have to cross the 50-year anniversary mark for us to unify and be happy for someone? I totally disagree, and here is why.
PDA isn’t new y’all.
Think about those country singers singing about painted declarations of love on water towers, or those engagements on big screens during sporting events. Some people feel that their love is so big, it has to be seen by everyone. It’s a love so big, it cannot be contained. They aren’t wrong. They are just in such a state of happiness they cannot contain themselves. They aren’t out to hurt feelings or make anyone feel inadequate. It is just who THEY are, and how they experience love.
The divorce rate is crazy high, right? People get hostile with other people about national sports teams, youth sports events (seriously), clothing choices, stealing car spaces, and don’t even get me started on road rage. Can we just be happy, and hopeful for those in relationships? Can we not rally together and say:
I am so happy you’re happy. Enjoy the moment!”
My kids will roll their eyes, poke fun, and cover their eyes whenever they see my husband and I kiss or share affection. When my daughter was 4, she even told my mother-in-law that I pinch my husband’s booty in the kitchen. That was a fun one. But you know what, y’all? My kids are exposed to an overabundance of love on the daily. They see us hugging, they see us laughing, they see us kissing every live-long day, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I want my kids to know how to love, how to truly enjoy the other person they choose to spend their life with. I want them to know that with healthy communication, mutual respect, and a shared appreciation for each other, marriage and relationships can be absolutely incredible. I still love kissing my husband. I still love holding his hand. I still love how safe I feel when he hugs me. I think that life can be hard enough, and if engaging in a little PDA – whether it be digital or in-person – makes you feel a little less crazy, it’s totally a-okay.
