Before the good Mark

A good friend commented on one of my blog posts today, mentioning that I have a gift....a huge heart.  I am so glad she never met me in my "pre-Mark" days.  Or is it my "pre-Prozac" days?  I think that Mark has had a ton to do with my attitude adjustment over the past ten years or so.  And Prozac has helped to make me a more tolerable person.  I hope.

The concept of donating anything....time, money, goods....never entered my mind before Mark.  I fought hard for what was mine, and what was mine, was mine.  Nobody elses.  I remember the first time Mark said to me "let's just give it to them".  I stood there open-mouthed and confused.  Give?  As in "Give away for free"?  But I had to pay for it, shouldn't everyone else?

Fostering babies and dogs was initially Mark's idea.  And he had never had a pet growing up, but he knew of my love of dogs.  Mark would do absolutely anything to make me happy.  Anything.  He initially wanted no children, when we first met.  He went along with the idea of trying to get pregnant, and when that wasn't happening. he suggested the fostering.  To help others.  Anything to help others.

When I first discovered that Mark was, indeed, simply the nice man he appeared to be and not after anything, I have to admit that I at first took advantage of that.  I had never had someone treat me like this.  He would give me things and want nothing in return.  Our first Christmas, he bought my Mom a brand new King-sized bed.  Who DOES that?  Mark does.

Mark went through a lot of "Mindi testing" before I could totally give my heart to him.  Lots of "are you mad at me?" "do you want to hit me?" "do you want me to leave?"  Games.  Very silly, stupid, emotional games.  I am SO BLESSED that he stayed with me through all that.  He said that he always knew there was someone nice and caring under there somewhere, and he was willing to work for it.

Now, sometimes anyway, I'm the one who suggests doing for others.  I love buying peoples' children things especially.  That friend who commented on my heart earlier?  Her Granddaughter is going to be getting a Scentsy Buddy in the mail soon!  Just to see a happy face makes my day.  Thanks to the good Mark.