+
upworthy
More

Dear Husband, you are not the man of my dreams.

Dear Husband,

If I sat here and tried to list all the things I love about you, I might never finish this letter. My fingers would be bleeding from typing for so long.


Instead, I’m going to take a moment to thank you for all the things that you are not, all the things you don’t do, the things you could never be.

Doesn’t sound like much of a thank you, does it? Bear with me.

You aren’t my dream come true. In my dreams, my man would never falter. He would meet all my needs before I knew I what I needed. He’d always know what to do and say and how to take care of everything. On bad days, when I’m at my worst or when the kids are getting on my nerves or when everything seems to go wrong, I’d rather have you because you’re real.

You don’t have the all the answers because no one does. You don’t have infinite patience for when I’m being unreasonable. You don’t love everything I do because not everything I do is lovable! If you were always dreamy, imagine all the pressure that would put on both of us! Thank you for being genuine, human, flawed, and most importantly, for never even trying to pretend that our life is like living in a dream.

Thank you for never trying to be a “knight in shining armor.”

All photos via iStock.

I love that you know when to don your armor and fight beside me. And I love even more that you know when it’s my job to slay my dragons alone. There are battles in life that we are meant to fight by ourselves, and I’m glad you never rob me of the opportunity to hone my own strength and gain wisdom from a tough battle. If you were my knight, would I know how to fight for myself? Would I feel like I always needed you to rescue me? Would I ever want to be that weak?

I love that you know when to don your armor and fight beside me.

We’ve both heard over and over that you should never settle for anyone. We’ve heard that to have a great relationship, the things that are important to you should be important to your partner, too.

Well, I’m glad we settled for each other.

You crank your stereo up when you’re alone in your car and you love going to concerts, yet you settled for a woman who can’t stand loud music. You’ve settled for someone who wakes up at the crack of dawn even though you prefer to stay up late at night. I’ve settled for someone who hates the beach even though it’s one of my favorite places. You, an Italian-American from New York, settled for someone who thinks pasta and bread are not a big deal. I, the avid reader, settled for you, who rarely cracks open a book. Imagine the passion, excitement, lust, joy, adventure, and contentment we would have missed had we decided we could not settle for one another.

When I was a little girl, I thought that “happily ever after” might actually exist, even though I never saw it in real life.

I’m glad you don’t try to make me happy every single day. Thank you for being smart enough to know that it’s not your job to make me happy. If I couldn’t find happiness within myself, nothing you do or say could instantly turn me into a happy woman. You’ve spared me from failed attempts at cheering me up or sweeping me off my feet during times when I just need a few minutes to cool down. I’m glad your life isn’t dedicated to making me smile all the damn time because a life of nothing but smiles is not a real life. I’m glad you don’t constantly compliment me/encourage me/inspire me/esteem me and that you don’t make me feel like I’m the center of your world every single day.

Thank you for being smart enough to know that it’s not your job to make me happy.

Don’t you think we would miss out on some amazing make-up sex if you were so perfect that we never got into a fight? We’d be so good at pretending to be happy that we wouldn’t know what real happiness felt like. I’ll take the life that we have and all of its challenges, victories, and struggles over a futile attempt at nonstop happiness any day.

I know that you will almost always be here when I need you, but since you’re not a mind reader, sometimes I will have to ask. Grief, strife, fear, and disappointment will make both of us fall short for one another once in awhile. Thank you for always taking care of yourself first. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to care for me during times when I really need you. And even though you’ll never tell me everything I need to hear (again, because you’re not a mind reader), if I look closely enough, I can see your love, appreciation, and admiration for me in so many things that you do.

I’m glad you threw the fairy tale away long before you met me.

And there’s no one else in this sometimes crazy, sometimes dreary, sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly world I’d rather have by my side. While it’s fun to share our dreams, discuss our fantasies, and pretend that little problems don’t exist from time to time, I don’t know if I could enjoy reality with any other person as much as I enjoy it with you.

Prepare to get Thatcherized.

It seems that Adele is going viral once again.

Perhaps you’ve seen the image in question previously (it seems to make the rounds every couple of years). But in case you missed it—it’s Adele’s face. Normal, just upside down.

Only it’s not normal. In fact, when you turn Adele’s face right side up, what you notice is that her eyes and mouth were actually right-side up THE ENTIRE TIME, even though the entire head was upside down. So when you turn the head right side up, the eyes and mouth are now UPSIDE-DOWN—and you can’t unsee it. Do you feel like you're Alice in Wonderland yet?

Keep ReadingShow less

Taylor Swift at 2022 Toronto International Film Festival Red Carpet Day 2.

The wordsmiths over at Merriam-Webster have announced their official “Word of the Year for 2023,” they say it’s something we are “thinking about, writing about, aspiring to, and judging more” than ever.

The word is authentic.

According to the dictionary, the most common definitions of authentic are “not false or imitation,” “being true to one's own personality, spirit, or character,” and “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.”

Merriam-Webster says the word saw a “substantial increase” in lookups this year. That’s probably because we now live in a world where artificial intelligence, deepfake technology and questionable memes challenge our basic notions of reality.

Keep ReadingShow less

The gaze of the approving Boomer.

Over the past few years, Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964) have been getting a lot of grief from the generations that came after them, Gen X (1965 to 1980), Millenials (1981 to 1996), and now, Gen Z (1997 to 2012). Their grievances include environmental destruction, wealth hoarding, political polarization, and being judgemental when they don’t understand how hard it is for younger people to make it in America these days.

Every Baby Boomer is different, so it's wrong to paint them all with a broad brush. But it’s undeniable that each generation shares common values, and some are bound to come into conflict.

However, life in 2023 isn’t without its annoyances. Many that came about after the technological revolution put a phone in everyone’s hands and brought a whole new host of problems. Add the younger generations' hands-on approach to child rearing and penchant for outrage, and a lot of moden life has become insufferanble.

Keep ReadingShow less
Humor

Iliza Schlesinger's hilarious rant just might unite Gen Zers and millennials

The 40-year-old comedian begs for the younger generation to cut millennials some slack.

@ilizas/TikTok

Comedian iliza Schlesinger urges Gen Z to be nicer to millennials.

Generational differences have long been the bread and butter of TikTok humor, but lately, millennials have been a prime target for their younger Gen Z counterparts.

Clips of Gen Zers mocking stereotypical millennial behavior, otherwise known as “millennial core” is particularly popular—everything from a millennial’s affinity for skinny jeans and self-deprecating humor to their love of the word “adulting” is current fodder for ridicule.

Things have gotten so heated that millennials have, as the kids say, begun serving clapbacks—accusing Gen Zers of acting superior, nihilistic and completely disconnected due to their over-reliance on social media.

But earlier this month, comedian and self-described “elder millennial” Iliza Schlesinger went viral for her rallying cry for both generations to unite. It’s a delightful blend of unhinged and insightful that Schlesinger has truly mastered.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

New England mall's ingenious ‘Santa elevator' is a child’s Christmas fantasy come true

Natick Mall takes Santa visits to a whole other level with its magical "elevator" to the North Pole.

Visiting Santa at the Natick Mall is an otherworldly experience.

Visiting Santa Claus at the mall is a holiday tradition for countless American families, and it's usually a similar setup no matter where you go. You find the big display with the big Christmas decor, step into a long line of parents and kids ranging from giddy to terrified, wait for Santa's helper dressed in an elf costume to say it's your turn, then take pics of your kid telling a stranger in a Santa suit what they want for Christmas in an effort to give your kids a taste of holiday wonder.

But one mall in Massachusetts has upped the mall Santa bar so far it's above the clouds—literally.

The Natick Mall's "Magic Elevator Express" takes visiting Santa to a whole other magical level that even the Grinchiest of grownups can appreciate. And the idea is so brilliantly simple, it could be replicated just about anywhere.

Keep ReadingShow less

A TikTok post about McDonald's prices and President Joe Biden speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum.

Sometimes, there are images that perfectly encapsulate a moment in time. In December 2022, a viral TikTok video featuring a burger meal at McDonald's that cost a whopping $16.10 went viral, and to many Americans struggling through inflation, the image rang true.

Topher Olive posted the TikTok video on December 10, 2022, showing a burger, large fries, and a large Coke that cost $16.10.

The price of a value meal at McDonald’s is something that every American understands. The Economist even uses the Big Mac sandwich as a tongue-in-cheek way of measuring the purchasing power between countries.

Surely, if a McDonald’s burger meal was becoming too expensive for the average American to eat for lunch every day, then the country must be headed in a disastrous direction. The image was the perfect weapon for those looking to blame President Biden for his handling of the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keep ReadingShow less