I cannot be interesting every single day. There is just too much repetition to qualify as notable. When my adult kids call to ask what is going on, I grasp for a story about a novel I am reading, or a quilt I just started. There are a stack of books beside me, including three by Jodi Picoult with her hair raising endings.  We don't go many places but there are changes in the yard, like brave flowers peeking out. Some items in the family calendar are worth mentioning... the latest play, or Ben's morning delivering Meals on Wheels.

 

But me?  I am predictably the same. 

 

I am not sure how or why I got the impression that that is a bad thing, yet it weighs on me. It is easy to fall for the illusion that everyone else out there has a scintillating and spontaneous life, flush with pricey vacations, and work advances. I suppose there is an art to it, like the press secretaries that pretty up their client's public image. 

 

Still, today is much like yesterday and last month.

 

Tony Robbins gave a seminar at a Smart Marriages conference, outlining the six human needs.

 

Certainty, variety, significance, connection, growth and contribution.

 

He suggests that knowing what to expect is as vital to us as not knowing. Stability is a core need, as is a thirst for change. Some people crave one more than another, but we all require both. 

 

Marriage can bring sweet safety to a relationship. In contrast to the eclectic nature of dating around, I know that John is a constant. He is part of my day, my week, my past, my future. 

 

On the platform of that certainty, I can even handle the occasional burst of surprise. Like a surprise ending.