Never Stop Being The Guy With Barbie Dolls In His Pockets

Tonight I found myself at Target, which is where I'm found most Sundays.  Whether it's to wander around aimlessly kid-free for a bit to get my head straight for Monday, or to grab a few last minute items needed for the week ahead, which tonight included hair gel, shampoo and conditioner, and milk.

But tonight's trip was different.  Every aisle I went up I kept running into this young couple, probably in their early 20's.  In their cart sat a tiny toddler, maybe 2 years old.  The little girl was of course doing toddler things; screaming, whining, gabbing, but what kept catching me off guard was the way this guy was talking to his wife (yes, they both had rings on so I'm assuming this was a husband and wife and their baby girl).  I ran into them in the shampoo aisle and she was admiring some headbands, commenting on how cute she thought her hair would look styled with one of them.  I sat there shopping, ok eavesdropping, as he said to her; "babe, you know what?  We aren't leaving this store without one of those headbands.  I'm serious, you will look beautiful!"  It tugged at my heart. Up and down the aisles he followed her while she did her aimless shopping.  Make up, finger nail polish, you could tell that he was just happy to be there, toddler-mess and all.  She was the only woman in Target to him tonight.

I finished up my shopping and was at the register, when I heard the infamous song from Frozen, "Let it Go" start playing.  I looked around trying to find where the music was coming from and as I walked toward the exit, there it was.  The same couple was walking out in front of me.  The guy was holding the toddler in one hand.  His other hand was wrapped tightly around his wife.  He leaned in and kissed her hard on her temple.  She rested her head on his shoulder.  And there in his back pocket were Anna and Elsa barbie dolls, singing "Let it go.  Let it go.  Don't hold it back anymore".  This was love at it's finest.

I guess my reason for feeling the need to blog about this is because marriage is hard.  Like, real damn hard.  Families are hard.  Struggles are hard and usually daily.  Running businesses and being a grown up and paying bills are all hard.  But I think at some point, we were all this same couple once. Madly in love, the only 2 people in the store, the couple that people watched adoringly.  Sometimes you show up at Target on a Sunday night, just to be reminded that this couple still exists.  We can all be that couple, if we choose to be.  So ladies, rest your heads on your dude's shoulder.  And dudes, never stop being the guy who carries around barbies in his back pocket.  xoxo