7/52 Take Fierce Pride in the One You Love—"Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan

THE SONG: Pride and Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughan

Well you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind
My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy

She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy



Yeah I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours it won't never grow old

She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy

She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy



Yeah, I love my baby, she's long and lean

You mess with her, you'll see a man get mean

She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy



[the following verse omitted from the acoustic version above]
Well I love my baby, like the finest wine

Stick with her until the end of time

She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy



Yeah I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours it won't never never never never grow old

She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy


THE LOVE NOTE:
Hey Sweet Little Thing—
You are long and lean—you're as you say "small, but scrappy!" Most of all you are indeed my pride and joy. What good do I have in my life that I can't either give you credit for or enjoy with you? "Love like ours never grows old": You're still the one I enjoy being with; It's your good opinion of me that still matters most; It's you I still like to do things for.

Love,
Your "little" lover boy

THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE
Take fierce pride in the one you love. Brag about your baby. Take joy in him or her. Let your baby know Refuse to ever criticize her/him to others. Don't husband-bash with your girlfriends. Don't wife-bash with the guys. "You mess with her, you'll see a man get mean" is a great line. Have that kind of  protectiveness not just with others but more importantly from your own internal criticisms of your baby.

For example, you'd have to search far and wide to find anyone who's heard me complain or criticize my wife to them. It's not that we don't have problems. It's that she deserves to be defended, even from me—and there's no one better situated as protector and provider to protect her and provide her with that level of relationship safety than me.