Thursday, December 25, 2014

Three's Company Beats Traditional Marriage

I've written a lot on this blog about being single...   Well, guess what? This year, I'm living with not one, but two cute, incredible guys.  Kind of like "Three's Company," but with two guys and a girl, or "New Girl," but with one less guy. Any way you look at it, it's awesome for me.

When Scotty went off to Purdue, I couldn't afford to live in this big house without child support, so I put an ad in roommates.com, and the first person who came to look at the place was a firefighter named John.

That was over two years ago. John is amazing. He takes care of my yard, shovels my driveway, and takes better care of Chloe than Scotty or I ever have.  He takes out the trash, cleans my house, and even stands up to my pain-in-the-neck neighbor who complains about everything. Because his whole job is about handling emergencies, I always feel so much more secure when he's around.

Then last summer, another friend, Chip, needed a place to stay temporarily, and I had plenty of room, so I got a second male roommate.  Like John, Chip has been an incredible addition to our little household.  He's helpful and friendly and an awesome cook, filling my kitchen with delicious aromas. Last night, for Christmas Eve, he cooked one of the most delicious dinners I've ever had as a gift for me. One day last summer, I came home from work to see he'd planted lavender, one of my favorite flowers, in my garden.

This past week I was traveling to California -- with two housemates, I also have more freedom to travel because I know Chloe and my house will be well cared for while I'm away.  When I got home, I was surprised to see Christmas lights on my house.  There was also a big box in the living room that said, "Don't open until Christmas" from Chip.  My traditional advent calendar "tree" which I had been meticulously adding an ornament to each day, had been tended to as well. And the biggest surprise was the big fir tree in my back yard was covered with lights! I am just ga-ga about that kind of thing! It was as though Santa had already visited my house (though I suspect it was John!)

These surprises were more magical than any surprises I ever remember getting from my husband.  Maybe it's because when we're in a relationship we have expectations that we will get gifts or surprises and then we're disappointed when we don't.  Instead, I have no expectations from these men, yet they continually surprise me with their thoughtfulness. It is so utterly endearing for me to experience such sweetness.

I try not to get too dependent or spoiled by this pampered life. As much as I wish I could marry John and Chip, I realize that our society does not allow such things. Yeah, maybe they'll want their privacy or own houses or decide to move in with girlfriends or get married like "traditional" people do. After this blog post, undoubtedly women will be showing up at my doorstep wanting to get in on this action...  Not so fast, ladies.  For now, these guys are living with me, and I'm not letting them go without a fight..