fawtle – n. a weird little flaw built into your partner that somehow only endears them more to you, in the way that impurities dissolved in water are what allow it to conduct electricity – if all the imperfections were removed, there would be no spark.

I won’t give you a specific, as it’s not really something I’d share, but my wife has a quirk that used to really annoy me. In some sense, it was a thing that I think I tried to avoid in myself.

However.

Over time, I realize this is a part of who she is. She knows it, the kids know it, I know it and not only accept it, but I can smile to myself a little and appreciate why the thing makes her unique and wonderful.

The more you find fawtle in others, the more you enjoy their differences from you and others.

From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows