"How's it been, living together?"

Jan. 8/13

Daily Resolution: Quit nagging. Start bragging. 

Sean and I moved in together near the end of September and within the four months we've lived in Victoria, I discovered a terrifying fact about myself: I'm a control freak. If I go to bed before Sean and wake up to find the dishes aren't cleaned, like he said they would be, I go berserk. If he's flung his jacket on the couch, I "calmly" ask him to hang it up, and if he doesn't do so within a minute, I huff and puff, hang it up myself, and then he's left puzzling over why I'm so annoyed at him. If I come home to find the counter a bit dirty, I can't talk to him for half an hour, lest I burst into tears. What? Why does this happen? The truth is, a tiny mess on the counter doesn't bother him like it does me, so it doesn't even dawn on him that I need it wiped away asap. So, why do I give him the silent treatment for not predicting what I unfairly expect of him?

Nobody likes a nag. I dislike being nagged just as much as the next person, so I'm taking a step back to re-evaluate the situation. Instead of nagging Sean for the little things that don't hold up in the long run, it's time to start bragging about him to my friends, to him, and to myself. Now, nobody's truly fond of a brag, either, so I promise I won't go overboard. But when someone asks me, "How's it been, living together?" instead of complaining, "It's been a challenge. Turns out I'm really controlling," I'll say, "It's amazing. I get to go to sleep and wake up next to my best friend." When I notice his coat on the couch, or the dishes piling up, I'll remind myself how much I miss him when he's not around, and how he makes me laugh everyday, even if I'm mad. I'll remind myself that he wakes me up with breakfast on the "odd" day that he pulls an all-nighter and how he left everything behind - his great job, his family, his friends - to be with me in Victoria, a city where he barely knows a soul. I'll remind myself that he is always one of my biggest supporters, whether I'm starting at a new school, at a new lululemon, or challenging myself to complete P90X. If he's so unwavering in his love and support for me, surely I can reciprocate. Why split hairs over a messy counter? That counter won't always be in my life, but if I cash in my bragging rights now, Sean will. 

hap·pi·ness

1. Sleeping in. Only to 9:30, granted, but for me that's still a luxury. 

2. Being back in Mitch Perry's Film Studies class and his self-deprecating/self-absorbed humour. Also, his enthusiasm for all things film related, no matter how eerie or experimental they might be. 

3. Getting into Leslie Bland's Public Speaking class and the excitement/terror of my inevitable "breaking out" of my comfort zone. 

4. The buzz I always get after a phone chat with my dear friend, Nadia. Our talks are sadly few and far between, but when they do happen, they're glorious.