#52 Stories--Story #19

When you were young, what qualities did you think were most important in a future spouse? Did your list change as you grew and matured?

As a young girl in Young Women at church we regularly made "lists" of what we'd like our future spouse to be like.  Luckily for me, the majority of things I wanted in a future partner were relatively reasonable.  Most likely that realization came from watching the real life love story my parents had shared fro years and year.

Most often I would say I wanted some marry someone that was a worthy priesthood holder.  I was blessed to have many friends growing up that showed me--in my peer group--what guys like that were like.  They were wonderful and lifelong friends, even now.  Not everyone has had easy or even comfortable lives but I still appreciate and love them for what they taught me as a young woman.

I'd also would have wanted to be with someone who made me laugh.  I have a sense of humor that is close to the surface and consequently I find things funny all the time.  I like to laugh and enjoy making others laugh too.  Someone with a similar sense of humor would be a preference.

I wanted to be with someone who had ambition within reason--someone who liked to work but wasn't obsessed with it. Holding down a job, and earning enough to support a family was an important trait I watched my own dad exemplify. That meant a lot to me from very early in my youth.

Of course it would be great if he were tall, liked to dance, had a great smile, and was cute.  But those kind of qualities dropped in importance as I got older and made way for the more lasting personality traits that mean so much more now.

I feel very lucky that for the most part, Genius Golfer is all the things I wanted in a future spouse.  He loves his family.  He has always had a job and works hard to support our family. He has skills, talents, and gifts that he has figured out how to use to support us. He is also financially careful, cautious and conservative.  We certainly get to do and spend money to make our lives memorable and enjoyable.  But we don't spend wastefully.

GG is a terrific dad too. He has such a natural way with the kids--from the times they were VERY small.  He just 'gets" them.  And he seems to always understand when I had HAD it with them. I'm quite sure he saved them from some kind of parental chaos many times.

I know I am a very lucky woman.