I've seen a few dark days in the past seven months since I made the move four hours from my home of twenty-one years. Days that I came home crying because I was lonely, home-sick, and broken. Days that I'd give anything to have a few good friends to call and have a meal with.

But I have also seen a lot of very good days in these last months. Times where I cried from joy. Days that left me so whole and so at peace that I couldn't express it in words. Moments that I caught myself smiling or laughing for no apparent reason.

I am especially grateful for those times right now as I begin another transition into what I hope is the ultimate career move just at the start of my career days. School still looms in the back of my mind and I am very impatient for May to roll around and this semester to be over. But mostly, I just want to count my blessings.

For instance, Marvin texted me yesterday to see if I wanted to go to the store with him. I was in the middle of a nap so I didn't make it, but we did end up going out to a late lunch and enjoying the gorgeous weekend weather. I came home and worked on a few things around the apartment. A paper, Angry Birds, you know, the norm.

Then I decided that I really wanted to see a movie so I texted Marvin to say I'd treat us to a late showing at a theater close by. He agreed and I picked him on the way. As we stood in the suddenly freezing Texas temperatures, we decided to see a different movie than planned. A moment to be grateful for...dating a man who is flexible and lets you pick the movie. (By the way, Red Riding Hood is a very good movie if you're into modern takes on the classics.)

We went to the concession line. A Mr. Pibb for him. A Coke Zero for me. And a giant bucket of popcorn to share. As the movie started and we continued to snack on the popcorn, I wanted to stay there forever. It was a blissful moment that I really didn't want to end.

There is truly nothing better than the peace of knowing and understanding a person despite all flaws and wanting to watch movies and eat popcorn for eternity. Even with the ups and downs that Marvin and I have faced, there is honestly no one that I'd rather have by my side on any given day. We are a team, partners in this crazy world. And that is perfection.

One of the most enjoyable (and most frustrating) aspects of this relationship is how diabetes has been intertwined into it. As I recently told a friend, there are days where I just want diabetes to leave me alone and not be the center of my world. There are also days where I need the support of someone who understands it from the outside looking in.

Marvin is great at being my partner in this thing without overstepping the control. Some of those days, I wish he would leave it alone. But mostly, I'm glad and grateful that he continues to stay involved and take on the diabetes in his own way. The simple way that he knows the midnight alarm means doing my long-acting insulin. The way he gets what a number means. Even how he can read those numbers before I ever check (and especially how sometimes he's wrong).

I believe there is a special aspect to every relationship that involves a chronic illness. It creates a greater sense of intimacy when both people are actually facing the illness together. When someone is fighting the disease, even in baby steps like insulin reminders or driving when you're blood sugar is out of range, it makes the parternship come naturally. It adds something that other relationships simply can't have.

And I'm very grateful for how Marvin and I have made our own team without even trying. I'm grateful that he understands and supports me. I'm very grateful that he's aware without being overbearing.

Mostly, I'm just grateful that I have a man in my life that I can share popcorn with at the movies.