All aglow

I am all aglow inside!
Warm fuzzies are just bursting from my heart
in an  absolute fount
of hearts and rainbows!
I can't stop smiling!
It's quite disgusting actually!

"What brought this on?"
you might ask.
My Lanny Love and my daughters
met today over lunch.
They were all themselves.
And they liked each other!

Ahhhhhhhh..........

Now I know this sounds so 16,
and it is a bit - I feel 16 lately! -
but it's really an important thing!
I've talked about some of the oddities
of dating after widowhood,
and one of those things is that,
in many ways,
the children become the parents.

Remember the first time,
as an adult in a serious relationship,
your parents met your significant other?
Remember how important is was that they like him/her?
Add to that the fact that if children don't like that person,
they can keep your grandchildren from you,
they can stop coming by,
they can turn a joyously growing relationship
into a very difficult choice.
(Sadly, I know people to whom this has happened.)
I don't believe my children would do that.
They would politely and generously tolerate almost anyone I loved,
just as I would have for them,
because I loved him.
But still, it was important to me that they like him.

Now, add a twist.
I was married to their daddy.
Their daddy whom they loved!
And who loved them and was a very good daddy!
And a very good father-in-law!
And a very good papa!

While I cannot "replace" Al,
I can have another husband,
a similar relationship.
A person only gets one daddy.
So when the children of a widowed individual
think about their surviving parent dating
and someday possibly remarrying,
it can feel like a betrayal if they approve.
Even though it isn't.
Just like when the widowed person
first starts dating - and sometimes after -
it feels like cheating.
Even though it isn't.

It was also important to me that he like them.
Because these are my children.
I like spending time with them.
And he is my boyfriend (giggle......).
I like spending time with him.
I don't want to divide my time.
I don't want birthdays or holidays to be uncomfortable.

So it was important to me that they all like each other.
And they did!
And I'm all aglow!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~