Date Night with Jene'

I was the last person in our family to have my own laptop computer.  Our children each had one that they have always used for certain school subjects, music programs, and games. I had always used the "family" computer, which was as slow as Christmas.  Michael always had the latest Apple computer which he used when he brought work home or on the road.  Our plan was for me to have my own this year so that I could start some writing projects that had been stirring around in me for years.  Michael bought me some writing books and the screenwriting software, Final Draft, for Christmas to get me started on my new endeavors in 2011.  Things have unfolded much differently for 2011.

I received his laptop on Wednesday night,  February 23, 2011.  It had escaped the accident without any harm.  His Italian leather bag, which he used as a brief case, was returned to me exactly as he had packed it without anything missing or damaged. Inside the bag, amid many other business papers, was the current book he was reading, Tender Warrior by Stu Weber (which was a Valentine's Day gift from me), his Italian leather sketch book/journal, and his laptop.  My writing this year will be consumed with memories, thoughts, questions, and emotions revolving around our life together..... on his laptop.  My writing books and copy of Final Draft are collecting dust as they sit with a large stack of books on the floor in my bedroom. Such a turn of events.

Michael had various reminders set up on his computer to pop up at just the right time to help him remember weekly occurring events, like "Date Night with Jene'".  For years, our standing date night was every Thursday.  Friday nights we liked to celebrate the weekend with the kids or have another family over to eat with us.  On Saturday nights, we liked to grill and stay at home so that we could be prepared for church early on Sunday mornings.  We did not always go out every week, but it was good to know that if we wanted to, we already had the evening set aside.  We had lots of dates during the months of November and December because this is when we did all of our Christmas shopping together. We would go out for appetizers and a glass of wine, then hit the shopping.  We both had so much fun doing this together.  We did it in big cities together if we were ever traveling in those months.  Those times were extra special as we discovered new and different stores.  Occasionally, over the last month, I have been on the laptop at the time when the reminder pops up, "Date Night with Jene'".  It is a sweet reminder of our date nights.

Getting ready for our dates was probably our favorite part of the date.... most likely because we had each other's undivided attention. Our closet in our bedroom is not very big.  Often times, he would come home from work on a Thursday night, and I would be in the closet changing for our date.  I would crack the door open and peek my head out of the door.  He would be standing there with two glasses of wine and would say, "Hello!", with a big smile then give me a kiss as he handed me a glass of wine.  (My cousin and his wife do something similar and they named it a "date drink".  We loved that name, so we called it that too.)  He would pace the floor outside of the closet while I continued to dress and tell me about his day while drinking his wine.  I would sip on mine in the closet then emerge fully dressed, then touch up my makeup and continue to visit with him while he changed his clothes.    The date drink was always shared in the bathroom area or closet as we prepared to go out to dinner or a movie.  Sometimes, I would have already dressed and I would be standing in front of the mirror freshening up my makeup and hair when he would enter with the wine.  He would always say, "Well, don't you look nice!"  This past Sunday night, I was changing clothes in my closet getting ready to go to some friends house for dinner with my sister and my children.  It was then that my memories of our date nights surfaced to my thoughts. It was the time of day that I would hear his dress shoes entering our room on the hardwood floors.  Getting ready was not the same without Michael there to talk with excitement about the day and celebrate the beauty of living over a glass of wine together.

I don't know how long I am going to keep his reminders set up on the laptop.  Right now, I am getting joy out of seeing the order to his life and the priorities he had in place.  We also had rotating date nights with the children for some good one on one time with each child.  We would talk about life, dreams, and goals with each one over dinner.  I may turn my Thursday date nights into my nights with each child.  We never did that weekly but did good getting in one full rotation every 2 to 3 months.  The kids get excited getting ready for their date nights, too.  It is Julia's turn.  Date Night with Mia, Date Night with Julia, Date Night with Michael Anthony.... that is what my pop up will read.