Getting a Gilbert

This past week I have found my newfound freedom of lazy summer afternoons with schoolwork assignments feeling as a thing of the past, and I have been thoroughly enjoying it. The ability to spend my time in various ways that allow me to enjoy things I wouldn't normally be able to do is one of the most splendid experiences one could imagine. I have taken complete advantage of this time by laying out by the pool, trying to stay in shape with fifty million crunches to the tune of the latest Civil Wars song, and brushing up on my favorite- Anne of Green Gables.
In Anne with an e's world, it is breathtaking and real and I feel as if I am visiting with an old friend as I sit and watch the movies or fumble through each chapter of my books. If Anne were alive, we would be bosom buddies and I would sit in her boat and recite Alfred Lord Tennyson's, "The Lady of Shalott" as I glided down the stream of a calming brook and imagine that I too was leaving the tower to find my lost love.





I would sit with Diana and ponder all of the world's greatest wonders, and I would feel as if I was atop a cloud with a beau like Gilbert.

- Bosom Buds.


Gilbert.
Although in the first several books, Gilbert annoys Anne and she detests his very existance, it isn't until the latter novels that she discovers the depth of her love for him. He is kind and considerate and he loves Anne. He understands her and he pursues her. She has always been within the realm of his possibility and he never backs down from pursuing her.
The most romantic love story. Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley.

This leaves me pondering- where is my Gilbert? Granted, I was a complete sucker for the romantic love shared between the couple that when I purchased my dog two years ago, I had to name him something significant. Fred, Tom, Jack, weren't exactly special doggie names to me, so I broke down and named him Gilbert. This name has always held a special place in my heart since the age of ten when I first picked up Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel, "Anne of Green Gables"...I immersed myself into the world of red hair, wild imaginations, and Gilbert. At the tender age of ten, I would sit atop my bed and longingly imagine what my Gilbert might resemble...as time changed and I continually re-read the books as a sense of familiarity, I would gradually change my image of Gilbert to what I would hope he would be....When I was 15, I wanted him to be "tall, dark, handsome, and have a nice car".
16- He needed to be tall.
17- He needed to be handsome.
18- He needed to want to kiss me, be handsome, and tall. (notice a trend?)
19- He needed to have a job, pursuit of a career, money in the bank, and handsome.
20- He needed to be a devoted Christian actively pursuing the Lord's desires for his heart, respecting of me and my desires, able to allow me to be independent, pursuit of a place in life, and a good family.
21- Same as a above and I wasn't a fan of unhealthy eating habits. He also needed to have a good work ethic, and somewhat normal. Tall didn't really matter anymore.
22- Same beliefs, pursuit of marriage, children, career, kind, genuine, NOT picky, able to have a strong character and backbone when not around me, handsome (to me) and overall-lovely.

And...this brings us to the present day. I don't know if I ever finished my story about the dog, but I named my dog Gilbert. Besides the loving four legged creature that likes to cuddle and is pretty handsome to me, I have to confess that I haven't found my Gilbert Blythe quite yet.
Although Anne was annoyed with him at the beginning, I'm pretty sure she was completely infatuated with him and his chivalrous nature to take over any feelings of annoyance she might have experienced at age 10. I highly doubt she found many problems with him, and I'm pretty sure she always felt loved by him. If another guy came along it didn't matter because she had her "Gilbert" and nothing in the world would compare.

The Lord has my Gilbert out there. He is molding and shaping him for me. Although I do still secretly hope he is tall, and handsome, I know that when I meet him he is going to be breathtaking, and I will feel as Anne did when Gilbert wrapped her in his arms- atop a cloud.