Synonyms

The first two things I learned about Himself when I met him was he didn't like bread and he didn't like Italian food (which I later realized was really a dislike for certain Italian spices and red sauce). I LOVE bread and almost anything Italian (except Italian meats). I'm surprised, based on that alone, that the relationship progressed passed "Hello."

Several weeks and two or three dates later I sat in my front yard with him, talking, and thought, "We really have nothing in common."

Now, more than 8 1/2 years later, I realized just how much we have in common. Last night, when I got into the car Himself has been driving for weeks, the radio was set to a radio station I listened to in college. Radio stations are something we've NEVER had in common. It prompted a stream of thoughts on how much we really did have in common, though it isn't always apparent on the outside.

Himself is the one person I love to go out to eat with more than anyone else in the world because I know he's just as adventurous about food as I am (though I owe my introduction to adventurous foods almost entirely to him). I know that he doesn't have a problem ordering two different things just so we can "sample" from each other's plates. I know that we can have an entire conversation that revolves around how the food compares to similar food at another restaurant, what ingredients are in it, how we could possibly make it at home or what would make it better.

He is also the person f orwhom I love to cook more than anyone else. He gets just as excited about a new-found recipe and its success as I do. He always lets me know exactly what he thinks of the food - acting as my own personal culinary critic - so I never have to wonder if it's good or not. My cooking skills have gone from "average - I can follow a recipe and make 400 versions of anything with basic ingredients" to more exotic and creative as a result of his tutelage and our mutual passion for all things edible.

While music has been a dividing point when it came to radio stations, we both share a funny love for The Rat Pack, Enya, jazz and 80s bands fronted by gay men (I realize that is a very broad category - it seems EVERY 80s band was fronted by a gay man at some point).

Television is another area (if you factor out Himself's bizarre affinity for cartoons) in which we share oddball passions - we both love American Chopper, anything on the Food Network with Alton Brown and medical docudramas. Upon getting satellite, we recently discovered we both have loved the Smurfs since we were kids.

Neither of us like chocolate particularly or have much of a sweet tooth (except DH's fondness for ice cream). We both sleep exactly the same way (when I'm not pregnant) - half on our stomachs, one leg stretched out, the other bunched up - even from the very beginning. We both love board games and card games - games of all types really - the outdoors, having couples friends and having our own space.

Now, there is a new mutual passion (and it's not just the radio) - Baby Girl. The miracle that is a part of both of us, an illustration of our similitude in some ways. We are synonyms - not exactly the same thing, but having the same common purpose, the same common message and the same deep love for the little girl who will be joining our family any day.

Funny, how bread and red sauce no longer factor into the equation.