husband of the year

so one of my very best friends is a special education teacher, like i used to be. and she's very good (and i truly mean, very good) at what she does. she's not just good, she's gifted. and i met her on the job some time ago. and she tells the story today about how when i first came to consult with her, she liked me right away, but that she'd never met anyone who so completely had no interest in being friends. and in my defense and hers, it wasn't that i didn't like her immediately; i did. but quite honestly at the time, my life was pretty hectic. really hectic. and i simply didn't have the time. so for roughly two years, we worked together, but i was mostly all business. but she kept inviting me to do things, and eventually, i gave in. and i'm so glad i did, because quite honestly, she's been a big part of helping me recover from the state i was in. simply by being there. and making me laugh. and never making me talk about what almost killed me. in fact, to this day, what little she knows about it all was sourced from other friends. she's asked nothing and i've told her nothing. anyway, she'll tell you today that she'd never worked harder to be friends with anyone. and once she asked me why i decided i wanted to be friends with her finally. and i told her that quite honestly what won me over was how very good she was at her job. that's how good she is.

but so anyway. this story isn't about me. or her. it's about her husband. and yesterday, on facebook, she reposted something about education, that i had posted and this random jerk started in on her, citing all the lame things people have been told to think about teachers and about teachers unions. and in so many words, he called her and every other teacher (but her specifically)- stupid, whiny, overpaid babies.

i saw it and made a mild comment about how breathtakingly ignorant he was. and that was ok. but THEN, her husband chimed in with a comment back. and he WAILED on the guy. just wailed on him to defend his wife. and her profession. and it was the most artful smackdown ever! he went off the rails on the guy.

it was a thing of beauty and a testament of love. and in my eyes, it was romantic as all hell. because you know? that's what you want in a spouse. someone who comes absolutely UNGLUED when someone tries to hurt you or demean you.

and it's not like they've not had their ups and downs and fights galore. neither one of them holds back when they are angry with each other. there's none of that stupid, politically correct, polite telling the other stupid stuff about how they feel. they just full out hurl at each other. it's rather like they love each other so much, and they care enough about their relationship to such a degree that they aren't going to run away or sulk, they are going to stand up to each other and fight it out. it means that much to them. and it's messy. but. they both always win in the end.

but WOE to the person that attacks the other one like this jerk did. and for that- i nominate my friend's husband for husband of the year.