Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Today is my husband's birthday. I made him his favorite breakfast, walked around his favorite reservoir with him and we are ordered a favorite meal to be delivered tonight. I grumble about him a lot, but after 47 years married, it's basically about his being a man and all the habits and behaviors of the species, and since I seem to be heterosexual up until now, that's what I'm attracted to. He has disappointed me, angered me, surprised me, amazed me and been my faithful companion for over 48 years. He protected me from my first husband, loved my children not immediately but fairly quickly, has never intentionally hurt me, stuck by whatever hairbrained scheme I was embarking on, taken care of the kids so I can write, visit friends, etc. We don't share interests except for a couple of big ones: faithfulness (we'd both been cheated on before), passion for art and travel, and the kids and grandkids. That's been more than enough. We analyze movies, he tells me the news in agonizing detail, I like to discuss Buddhism with him ( I mean lecture). I need a lot of space and am other oriented, he is an introvert who loves Suduku and puzzles, which I hate. I read, he doesn't. I loved him from the first time I saw him, and an old photo of him still tugs at my body as well his current state of advancing age. We shouldn't work, but we do. It's laughable, but I don't regret a thing, not even the habits he has that annoy me. He's my steady champion and admirer, and I am his.