Desperate Housewives

Have been spending the last week or so watching the first season of Desperate Housewives on DVD, courtesy of the ever resourceful Maz. It's another one of the shows that I had to stop myself from watching when I was preparing for my exam. Ironically, I got hooked on DH WHILE preparing for the exam. It used to come on at 10.30 pm on Tuesdays, right about the time when I would be exhausted from studying and taking a break. I never got to finish a single episode, guilt being the prime emotion I felt then. I mean, what's more important than studying then? Not even the sight of 4 very very VERY beautiful women on the series was about to tempt me off my studies.

Ah, but NOW....the exam seems like a distant memory. And so, whenever I had the time in the night, I would treat myself to an episode or two of DH. Compared to LOST (which I haven't finished btw...because my better half wants to watch it first), DH seems a trifle trivial and even SHALLOW. Ah, but what great fun! The lines spewed out by friends and nemesis alike were wickedly funny to say the least. I suspect the series is so popular simply because, despite all its frivolity, the characters speak to each one of us.

Some how or other, we can identify with any one of the characters there in the show. My better half so identify with Lynnette. Even to the extend of asking me "Do I smell bad?" after watching the episode where Lynnette's hubby complained that she smelled bad when he was romancing her. She smelled bad because she was up all day taking care of 3 little brats... I meant boys and a baby who kept throwing up on her. I reassured her that she doesn't smell bad though occasionally her fingers do smell of garlic or onion in bed. It doesn't turn me off. In fact, it made me more appreciative of her as these were the very hands that prepared a lovely dinner earlier. I have peeled onions and garlic before and trust me, the smell stays a long long time!

Who do I identify with? A bit of everyone I guess. Let me tell you who are my favourite characters. I think Lynnete's husband (Tom I think) is a superb man. And he does so LOVE his wife, smell and all. But the character that I really admire is ....no, not Gabby, though she has such a lovely face and superb body...but CARLOS! Yup, Gabby's hubby! Why? I know he isn't really a saint. We all know he isn't. But up to the episode that I have watched so far, he came across as some one who worked so hard to give his wife everything that she desires. He truly loves his wife and unfortunately is in constant fear that his beautiful wife would two time him. And Gabby was truly a two-timing materialistic woman! She had an affair with John, her young handsome latino gardener. Of course Carlos doesn't know about it. I expect, if he had known, he wouldn't be quite so loving.

Which reminds me of a character right out of the Old Testament in the Bible. God asked Hosea to go marry Gomer, a "loose" woman, if you know what I mean. And Gomer proved to be very unfaithful indeed, running off with other men, selling herself. And yet, God told Hosea to continue loving her and even to take her back. Now, Hosea takes her back and loved her DESPITE knowing that this woman is unfaithful. If Carlos had been Hosea, I expect Gomer to be 6 feet under in some desert some where.

HIS point? God tells us through the love affair between Hosea and Gomer, that He loves us despite knowing we are such an unfaithful human race, so frivolous, so shallow, so full of secrets and badness, so...unlovable. And yet, He continued to love us. And His love culminated in the historic event one Christmas a long long time ago, when He sent Jesus, His Son, to come to us, be like us, lived among us, loved us...even to death...just so He could have us back! That is LOVE!

Have a Blessed Christmas everyone! May God once again fill our desperate desperate hearts with His love.