"You make it easy for me to like you, and precious few people do."

Shirley Temple was likeable. Her sweet nature and bouncing curls won the hearts of millions. But she herself, or rather her character, was special because she could care for people who made it hard. Misers and spinsters and lonely colonels all softened under her attention. 

There are people in my life who make loving a low maintenance effort. When I bring the twins peanut butter sandwiches or macaroni from a box they thank me as if it were a meal I slaved over. What's not to like? Yet while they make our relationship enjoyable and easy, those may not be the measures of a good mother, as much as a lucky one. 

Marriage is often simple at first. Endorphins provide a serviceable lubricant for any friction. But then annoyances and differences crop up like weeds and it takes more effort. This is not because we didn't mean it at first. It is just the strategy for getting past the beginner stage. 

I suppose I could lean back on an overstuffed chintz chair and be like Aunt Jo, waiting for the people who make liking effortless. Or I could follow Shirley's example and get dancing.