Peter’s Soapbox

Melissa

I’ve been seeing someone. Since late in the fall of 2008, after my separation from my ex-wife had had time to really sink in, and I decided I was ready to move on. One day, quite out of the blue, I received a phone call, asking if I wanted to go out. Not having anything better to do with my time, I accepted.

— gory details omitted for brevity —

Fast forward to 2010. I have a (very) cute, (extremely) funny, (sometimes) bubbly, (always) silly companion in my life. She brightens my day, gives me new things to think about, and makes the world a better place to be. She’s not (very) afraid of tackling the mountain bike trails at Killington (although she may curse them and me for (literally)  dragging her down them). She’s always up for sushi or a glass of sweet, white wine. She’s happy to fail at 100 situps while I fail at 100 pushups. She’s never afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind, or to suggest new things for me to try. She’s stood by me during the ups and downs, and has always been there when I needed her.

So, Melissa, you can stand up and take a bow. You’re “my girl” and I’m not afraid to say it: I love you. You make the sky bluer, the grass greener, and the stems stemmier. You put the silly back in my life, and I don’t like thinking what the last year would have been like without you.

Yes, stemmier.