You light up my life.

There’s a line from Steel Magnolias when-

Wait, let me get something clear first. If you don’t remember the last time you saw Steel Magnolias, or if- I shudder to think- haven’t even SEEN Steel Magnolias, stop reading this blog. Repent of your sins at the nearest Blockbuster or Netflix site and you may join up with us again when you’ve memorized at least five of the lines and yet still cried every time (Spolier alert!) Shelby dies.

Now, where were we? Oh yes. Truvy (LOVE her!) has a great line at the beginning of the movie:

“Well, the last romantic thing my husband did for me was back in 1972. He enclosed this carport so I could support him.”

As the movie progresses, we all come to see that Spud (great name) clearly loves Truvy (he makes her beauty shop a chain at the end of the movie, remember? *sniffle* It gets me every time!), but he’s not a roses and chocolates kind of guy. Spud will enclose a carport, fix the truck, and make her dream of two beauty shops a reality- all because he loves her. But buy her flowers or dazzle her with diamonds? ‘Fraid not.

We all have our different love languages- ways that we show people who mean a lot to us just how much we love them. I’m verbal (shocker), but Rhett, my Rhett is all about acts of service. He’ll help every friend move, rake leaves, clean out your basement- you name it. He once packed up my entire apartment (furniture and everything) in 2 elevator rides- the man loves manual labor!

When it comes to Tara, Rhett has done most everything and one of his major accomplishments was the electrical work. Old ranches like ours have terrible lighting and hardly any outlets. So naturally, Rhett climbed into the attic and cut holes for can lights in the ceilings of the hallway, den and kitchen (18 in all.) He changed out every single outlet and put in new ones throughout the house. I don’t think he shocked himself but once or twice, and it was probably good for his heart.

Some girls ask their husbands for purses or jewelry and get all giddy when it arrives at the house. Me? I asked just yesterday for another outlet by the front door for some new buffet lamps. Proof I’m learning his love language? Rhett said, “Sure, I’ll do it in a few weekends” and my heart skipped a beat.