Love

The Cowboss and I saw a commercial on the TV the other day asking  you to send in $17.95 and the name of your significant other (and your name of course) and they will tell you if you are a love match or not. I thought REALLY?!!  Do people really send in their money on things like this?  In my personal opinion, if you have doubts or can't figure this out on your own, you obviously aren't a love match.

This did get me thinking, what is love?  How is it measured?  So I composed a little list to remind myself.  I'm big on lists these days.

1.  The Cowboss rides a horse I can ride too on the days we ship cattle and we take the boys with us.  He gets the cattle gathered, and then lets me ride his horse to bring cattle to the scale or to load trucks.  He doesn't have to share his horse with me because he can just as easily stay horseback and let me weigh the cattle or load the semi on foot.  He does because he knows that I enjoy being horseback and don't get to ride as often and I would like to right now with little boys, and I'm much easier to get along with if I've been on a horse recently!

2.  I was miserable the week the Cowboss was in Idaho helping his parents get weaned and pregged.  I had class and home school with TR and couldn't get away for that many days, so the boys and I stayed home to keep things going here, and help feed.  He is the first thing I thought of each morning and the last thing I thought about each night.  The boys and I were giddy, and in QT's words "I'm so essscited!" that day we waited for him to come home.

3.  I have more "pretty" rocks than I know what to do with.  Every time I turn around, one of my boys is running up to me, hand out, saying "Look mom!  Look!  I found another pretty rock just for you!  It is pretty just like you!"  Now, do I like to be told that I look like a rock?  No, not really, but I take it as it was intended.  My boys love me as much as I love them, and when they see something that makes them think of mom, they bring it to her.  I thank my lucky stars everyday for my two wonderful little boys that think I am wonderful, just like pretty rocks.
 

4.  We branded some fall calves at the BS Ranch a few weeks back.  My sister is going to have a baby in March.  She roped, and roped well, all things considered.  I know her husband was probably less than thrilled that she was horseback and in the middle of things, but he let her.  It reminded me of when I was 8 months pregnant with TR and roping calves at my parents branding.  The Cowboss was not happy with me, but he kept his mouth shut.  He understood that I wasn't going to do anything to get myself in a wreck, and that it was something that I needed to do for my own sanity.  Was I being selfish?  Maybe just a little, but he loves me anyway. 

5.  "Mom!  I think you're pretty!"  QT tells me this everyday.  "You know mom, you are prettier than you think you are," is one of TR's favorite phrases, and he tells me this everyday was well.  Do they tell me this when they think they are about to get in trouble?  Yes.  They also tell me this when I get ready to go to school too.  I must admit they are getting this flattery and manipulation thing figured out.  They are 2 of my biggest cheerleaders though, and make me feel like I can move mountains.  It is my job to build them up just as much as they are building me up, so that nobody can knock them down.  I hope that I am doing just as good of a job as they are.

6.  My sister makes fun of me.  I make fun of her, it's kind of our thing.  That said, she had a heyday when we were helping brand.  "Help me Help me!" she'd chant at me.  Heeling calves in a small corral, there were a few times I got one roped, dallied, then realized I had nowhere to go.  Each time, the Cowboss was right there to "rescue" me, by grabbing my rope and keeping it tight until I could get pointed in the right direction, so I wouldn't lose my calf.  Every time I was at the far end of the corral too.  He didn't have to do that for me, but I'd do the same for him.
 

 

Love is following someone to the ends of the earth, through hell and back, or just to the far end of the corral to help them keep the calf they have heeled until they get to the branding fire.  It is building someone up so high that they think they can do anything, and knowing they will do the same for you.  It is wanting someone to be happy that you will risk being unhappy yourself just to see them smile.  It is giving complements and praise because making someone happy makes you happy.  It really can't be measured, but it can be found in a jar of rocks, a kind word, or even on a cold, dreary day in a branding trap!  You don't even have to have $17.95 to find it either.