Highs and Lows

I remember watching a movie one night in which the family made a routine of eating dinner together. The family was less than perfect, actually the movie depicted the struggle of two married people who were trying to understand why they were still together. In this daily ritual, each family member; son, daughter, mom and dad would say their highs and lows; the best part of their day, followed by the worst. I remember watching that and thinking that's something that's rather simple but so overlooked and important! I'm not an intrusive person by nature, the last relationship I was in was one where I was learning new things weekly. I never sat down with a list of 20 questions. I knew I enjoyed the man's company, that I respected who he was and how he became who he was but I never felt the need to repeat the Spanish Inquisition. Somehow however, the simple ritual in this movie struck me as wonderful. How do you get to know just enough about your children in their adolescence (in those years that they want to be as far away from family time as possible) without feeling as if you're prying? How do you inquire into your husbands day without seeming as if you need to know everything or you don't trust him?

There's a lot that can said in knowing someone's highs and lows. I have come to realize that often times when getting to know men, it's what they don't say and what they do that really expresses their truth. As such, knowing that the best part of my day today was helping a student figure out a problem, shows that I find achievement in establishing order in something that's chaotic. Knowing that the worst part of my day was sitting at my desk for three hours non-stop reviewing graduation applications means that I get bored with repetitive tasks and I thrive on a moderate amount of change. Knowing all my highs and lows help someone really know me. And my desire to know yours, means I value you and have a desire to really know you as well.