Matt has done a lot of things to mellow me out in the five years that we’ve been together. Not that I was altogether uptight, but I certainly had strong opinions about how things should occur. I even had opinions about things I knew nothing about just for the sake of having an opinion. See my high school senior research paper which is pretty infamous in my family (and one of the biggest regrets of my life!).
An example of my crazy opinions is poinsettias. I love poinsettias and have enjoyed having them strewn about my apartment every holiday season. However this year, I had resigned myself to not having any of these beautiful plants in my home because everybody knows they’re poisonous to dogs. There was no logic in my decision to live without poinsettias this year. No thinking “I could put them out of her reach,” or “We could teach her to leave them alone.” Because they were poisonous, I was not going to have them anywhere in the house lest Berlin get into them and eat them while I was gone. Since she spends most of her time curled up on her bed while we’re gone?
Well, I never actually vocalized this decision to Matt, and on Monday he came home from work with a poinsettia for me. It’s a big beautiful poinsettia that four years ago would have made me tense up and go into a rampage along the lines of “Didn’t you know they’re poisonous to dogs? You must hate Berlin AND HATE ME for bringing this home! HOW COULD YOU!?”
But I’ve learned a few things about picking your battles, and instead quickly looked around the dining room for the tallest place I could place the poinsettia out of reach of Berlin. And I loved Matt for bringing me a beautiful plant. And Berlin has no idea the plant is there, because she’s too scared of the dining room to spend any time in there. And it’s five feet off the ground.
This happens all the time with us, and more and more I shake my ridiculous opinions because their foundation is emotional, not logical. Plus, I’d be a complete idiot to attack an innocent guy for bringing home plants for me. What a guy.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
ya know…i was going to say how ugly i think poinsettias are ( see, there is a christmas tradition i don’t love and embrace…) but the story is so darn sweet i’m going to have to bite my tongue on this one…
December 11th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I’ve heard that is just a myth – but I’m not willing to risk it either for the sake of my cats, who are already eating our christmas tree. hey – can you send me your new home address? you can email or send me a message on facebook.
December 12th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I heard from the True Source of Knowledge (aka the Today Show) that they may upset your pet’s stomach (as would any plant) but that they are not actually poisonous. I am encouraging the hell beast to eat her share for the sake of research….