He said; She said; She said; He listened.

He

13 O you who dwell in the gardens,
    with companions listening for your voice;
    let me hear it.

She

14 Make haste, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle
or a young stag    on the mountains of spices.

(Song of Solomon 10)

What a way to end this back and forth description between two lovers. After all these pictures of beauty and strength and strong feelings, these last statements say it all: he wants to hear what she has to say.  He is actually listening for her and to her.  And she wants him to be there with him.  He is not a big boy with a bragging mouth; he is a man with ears, and he uses them.  She sees him not as a bother or a mess to clean up after, but as someone she wants to hold her. If all couples would view themselves and one another this way, what a difference it would make in our homes and our world.  Stop. Listen. Invite. Share.