Kissing Some Warts

As I was reading a relationship book last week I stumbled over a concept that I've had on my mind for a while: 

The toad part of every prince

I'm not really referring to the negative attributes but to the traits you deem as negative without a reasonable explanation i.e. a certain outfit, the way they laugh, spelling words wrong in texts...

They're not necessarily bad things but they are things that may cause a slight twitch of discomfort.

So what are you supposed to do with those parts of your prince? (/princess?) 

They're obviously not a big enough issue to be a deal-breaker but they're things you'll probably never quite get over either. There's the other side too.. maybe they lack a random trait you're in search of in a partner.

I really liked the light the book shed on the topic:

"Whatever you find missing in him, you can get from other sources."

"...it is a man's imperfections that individualize him, give him character, and, finally, make him lovable."

"There is a prince in every toad and a toad in every prince. But does someone fall in love with the prince part of a person? No way. They fall in love with the toad part. It is the idiosyncrasies and weirdness that really endears someone to you, the part that makes you say, "Oh, that's just him," and you love him anyway."

I think it's beautiful to realize that "normal" is the exact opposite of what is lovable. Those quirky little habits are what make you human and thereby perfectly imperfect.

Can't Beat Me

I love this monologue in Home Alone 3:

Alex: "They're going to come after me tomorrow Doris. Nobody will listen. Not my parents, or Molly, or Stan, or the police or the Air Force. Nobody. So what do I do? If that means hide, you're wrong. If that means fight, you're right. They'll understand when I'm done. They'll know I was telling the truth. I'm not going to cry or feel sad or scared. They're grown-ups and they're criminals. This is MY neighborhood and this is MY house and no matter how old they are and how big they are they can't beat me here. They can't beat me at home.

I love the idea of home being a place of refuge, a place of safety, a place of peace. I love that my home is a place I have the confidence to conquer any battle. It was unbelievably relaxing to spend my entire day at home deep cleaning and then settling down for an evening of reading and playing piano. I'm grateful for the total satisfaction I find in standing on this holy ground. 

I have a sign in my house that says, "Home: The storm stops here." I love that I can come home each day to a sanctuary of peace and love.