When Matt and I met, I was going through a bit of a rule follower phase.

Mind you, I’d just come out of a major rule-follower-by-day-rule-breaker-by-night phase before that.  I was due some major boring rule following.

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

The first summer we were dating (back in 2001), we headed to the beach with my family.  I remember lying on the beach, doing perfectly nothing.  Following the “rules” of lying around getting a tan.

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

Imagine my surprise when out of nowhere I see my future husband, long hair and all (don’t worry, I’m searching for a pic) running down the beach, bread crumbs in hand.

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

Long hair and arms flapping in the wind, he was running wildly down the shore slinging crumbs into the air.  He was feeding the seagulls.

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

With great disdain, I looked around the beach, knowing so many people hated us and that my father surely thought Matt was certifiable.  I was embarrassed at his unwillingness to follow the beach-laying-out-do-nothing rules.

After a few stern looks, an excited Matt came back to sitting beside me doing nothing.  Good for him.  After a few beach trips and many more stern looks later, Matt flat out told me I was way too worried about what other people thought, and I needed to relax.  He was just feeding the birds, for crying out loud.

I was mad and felt like he was belittling my crusade to follow the rules of beach etiquette for sunbathers everywhere.  But after a few years of me not feeding the birds and him continually feeding the darn things, I loosened up.

So much so that now…

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

Well, now I have a bird feeding husband who is highly encouraging my kids to become bird feeders too.

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

And while it still is weird for a non-bird feeder like me, I get that it’s so not a big deal.  That my worries were totally tied to people’s impressions of me, and who cares really?

Are You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfect

That my husband feeds those dumb birds less than he used to because he loves me and I forget about it when he does because I love him.

 photo PerfectlyImperfectConAre You a Bird Feeder? | Confessions | perfectly imperfectfessions_-11_zps4e739edd.jpg

To all you bird-feeders out there who make us non-bird feeders way less boring.