His and Hers XIV
His and Hers is a question or discussion topic relating to marriage that I post every Tuesday or Wednesday (though I didn't do that this week). On Friday, my wife and I each write our thoughts on the topic. I invite other bloggers to do the same with their spouses as an exercise in celebrating marriage. This week's question is:
What song reminds you of your spouse every time you hear it?
Mrs. Happy's response
When Curt and I were just friends, we were best friends. He treated me with so much kindness and affection that I grew to love him more deeply than I had ever loved any other friend. I listened to a lot of Jewel back then, and when I heard the song Near You Always, I realized that I was in love with him. I knew, however, that he didn't feel the same way about me (hah) so I had to guard my emotions with every ounce of will I possessed. He didn't make it any easier, though, because he never stopped treating me as though I were a lovely and precious human being. Near You Always always made me think of Curt, and I still do. The difference is that now I can completely omit the word don't from the lyrics.
Near You Always
Please don't say I love you,
those words touch me much too deeply
and they make my core tremble
Don't think you realize the effect you have over me
Please don't look at me like that
It just makes me want to make you near me always
Please don't kiss me so sweet
it makes me crave a thousand kisses to follow
And please don't touch me like that
makes every other embrace seem pale and shallow
And please don't come so close
it just makes me want to make you near me always
Please don't bring me flowers
they only whisper the sweet things you'd say
Don't try to understand me
your hands already know too much anyway
It just makes me want to make you near me always
And when you look in my eyes
please know my heart is in your hands
It's nothing that I understand, but when in your arms
you have complete power over me
So be gentle if you please, 'cause
Your hands are in my hair, but my heart is in your teeth
And it makes me want to make you near me always
Your hands are in my hair, but my heart is in your teeth
And it makes me want to make you near me always
I want to be near you always
I want to be near you always
I want to be near you always
Curt's response
When I was in high school, I had a girlfriend. I dated her not because I loved being around her but because I was lonely and I thought having a girlfriend would solve that. It didn't. But I still behaved the way I thought a boyfriend should behave, which meant that I often told her I loved her. It was a complete lie, but I didn't realize it until after we broke up. Once I understood the weight of those words, I vowed to myself never to tell any woman I loved her until I was ready to marry her. It wasn't that difficult, because I never even felt like saying that to any woman until I grew to love the woman who would eventually become my wife. There was a period of a year or more when I could have truthfully said to her, "I love you," and I desperately wanted to say those words—at the time, I just wasn't ready to marry her yet. I did tell her about my personal vow, hoping that she would realize my feelings without hearing that verbal expression of them, but I didn't tell her I loved her.
When I proposed, I serenaded my beloved with the song Do I Love You by Cole Porter. During a musical interlude in the song, I told her I loved her over and over again. I continued telling her throughout the evening. Since then, not a day has passed without my saying, "I love you." Whenever I hear that song, I think of her and of what a relief it was to finally give voice to my passion.
Do I Love You?
Do I love you do I?
Doesn't one and one make two?
Do I love you do I?
Does July need a sky of blue?
Would I miss you, would I, if you ever should go away?
If the sun should desert the day, what would life be?
Will I leave you, never?
Could the ocean leave the shore?
Will I worship you forever?
Isn't heaven forevermore?
Do I love you, do I?
Oh my dear it's so easy to see,
Don't you know I do, don't I show you I do,
Just as you love me.
Will I leave you, never?
Could the ocean leave the shore?
Will I worship you forever?
Isn't heaven forevermore?
Do I love you, do I?
Oh my dear it's so easy to see,
Don't you know I do, don't I show you I do,
Just as you love me.
