Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The Prompt: Tell us about falling in love: what does it feel like?

With no intent to sexualize the metaphor, falling in love is a lot like the sensation of “falling” into a really comfy bed and having a great night’s sleep. There’s the literal fall and the allegorical fall of your muscles relaxing as they sink into this space you are going to occupy, becoming accustomed to the fabric and the temperature and the warmth (or coolness.) There’s the lovely initial sensation of snuggling down, cuddling up and knowing “a ha, I’m finally here” as you settle into bed.

What’s better is that the sensation of falling continue even while you are very aware of the solid foundation underneath you. I might turn over or wake unexpectedly by a disturbance (read: cat) and then have another opportunity to enjoy the fall. When I have to rise to use the bathroom, I come back and typically find Ledcat curled up on her side with the covers held tightly against her chin. Something inside me sinks a little deeper in love each time I see her like that – so vulnerable, so determined, so willing to let me have more than half the bed. I sink into the covers and put my arm around her. I feel her relax a bit, but neither of us is a clingy sleeper – no spooning during sleeping. And then there’s inevitable a cat being disrupted which rarely goes well so I pull back and fall again into sleep.

I could go on and on with this analogy because it is precisely that moment when I crawl back into bed in the middle of the night and see my love sleeping soundly that I cherish more than any other. Neither of us are morning people so we don’t really “do” romantic morning greetings. Plus – coffee? And, oh yes, cats. Our bed time rituals are very different – I’m done in like 10 seconds and ready to drift off while she is a bit more organized and efficient about things. So we meet in the middle of the night – two sleepy women sharing a bed. With the cats.

Some people rediscover their love, some renew their love/vows. I think continuing to fall in love is a wonderful analogy.