The gift...
Tonight I sit alone in the basement listening to the washer and dryer doing their rhythmic dance. She does the cha cha of the wash cycle, now it is the rapid twirls of the spin cycle. He does the round and round.
I have been reading random blogs recently. They are so often full of anger and swearing. I wish so many of us didn't feel that was the only way to express our full emotions. Unfortunately I often find myself using the same language in my head and regretting it but it has such force that it sums it all up. The wonderful effenheimer. The all american word. The first time I heard my daughter use it was shocking even though it shouldn't have been. I was about her age when I started to use it for shock value. Unfortunately, it doesn't produce a shock anymore.
Eighteen is a glorious age when you are the one experiencing it. It can be difficult for parents though. I remember being eighteen and beginning to have freedom and choices. It was wonderful. I did what I wanted. I discovered the song MY WAY at that age. It was my anthem. I was bound and determined to conquer the world and I would do it my way. I would achieve all I wanted on my own terms and in my own way. Little did I know that there was this thing called life which doesn't play by any rules. I learned that there were consequences for all my actions and I had to live with them. Sometimes I ponder the events and decisions I made then and wonder if I would do it all the same. Mistakes hurt so much but who would I be now if I hadn't made them and learned?
The best thing about eighteen was Dane. I met him at work and fell in love the summer of my eighteenth year. He made the biggest difference in my dreary life. I came alive and started to really live and learn about life and myself. He was truly the greatest gift that God gave me. I would not be here today without him. I am very thankful that I have the world's most wonderful husband. Of course, I was the one who pursued him because he just wasn't making the first move. I figured I better do it if we were ever going to discover if we were going to work. I asked him out to a movie, I told him I loved him, I kissed him, I didn't ask him to marry though. The moment that I treasure is the one when we were sitting at a stoplight and he said, "You realize we are going to get married, don't you?" This was in September of 1976 when we had been going out for a few months. My heart stopped and breath was short. I took a gulp and said, "Yea." I consider that my proposal. The official proposal didn't come until 18 months later. I hounded him way too much about it and it was anticlimatic. I liked the first one best.
My advice to any readers...don't settle for second best. Make sure you like your spouse. Make sure that they are your best friend. If you don't like them, when all the gooey feelings are gone it won't be easy. Marry your best friend and life will be a lot sweeter. Marriage isn't easy and there are times you want to walk away. I would have at different points but I couldn't because I made a promise to my best friend and I wasn't going to abandon that. Difficulties pass and things get better. I speak from experience. If I had left, I would have regretted it because I would never know the joy that I have now after 27 years of marriage. Honey, I love you and I thank the Lord God Almighty that he gave me you. Without you it just wouldn't be the same.
I have been reading random blogs recently. They are so often full of anger and swearing. I wish so many of us didn't feel that was the only way to express our full emotions. Unfortunately I often find myself using the same language in my head and regretting it but it has such force that it sums it all up. The wonderful effenheimer. The all american word. The first time I heard my daughter use it was shocking even though it shouldn't have been. I was about her age when I started to use it for shock value. Unfortunately, it doesn't produce a shock anymore.
Eighteen is a glorious age when you are the one experiencing it. It can be difficult for parents though. I remember being eighteen and beginning to have freedom and choices. It was wonderful. I did what I wanted. I discovered the song MY WAY at that age. It was my anthem. I was bound and determined to conquer the world and I would do it my way. I would achieve all I wanted on my own terms and in my own way. Little did I know that there was this thing called life which doesn't play by any rules. I learned that there were consequences for all my actions and I had to live with them. Sometimes I ponder the events and decisions I made then and wonder if I would do it all the same. Mistakes hurt so much but who would I be now if I hadn't made them and learned?
The best thing about eighteen was Dane. I met him at work and fell in love the summer of my eighteenth year. He made the biggest difference in my dreary life. I came alive and started to really live and learn about life and myself. He was truly the greatest gift that God gave me. I would not be here today without him. I am very thankful that I have the world's most wonderful husband. Of course, I was the one who pursued him because he just wasn't making the first move. I figured I better do it if we were ever going to discover if we were going to work. I asked him out to a movie, I told him I loved him, I kissed him, I didn't ask him to marry though. The moment that I treasure is the one when we were sitting at a stoplight and he said, "You realize we are going to get married, don't you?" This was in September of 1976 when we had been going out for a few months. My heart stopped and breath was short. I took a gulp and said, "Yea." I consider that my proposal. The official proposal didn't come until 18 months later. I hounded him way too much about it and it was anticlimatic. I liked the first one best.
My advice to any readers...don't settle for second best. Make sure you like your spouse. Make sure that they are your best friend. If you don't like them, when all the gooey feelings are gone it won't be easy. Marry your best friend and life will be a lot sweeter. Marriage isn't easy and there are times you want to walk away. I would have at different points but I couldn't because I made a promise to my best friend and I wasn't going to abandon that. Difficulties pass and things get better. I speak from experience. If I had left, I would have regretted it because I would never know the joy that I have now after 27 years of marriage. Honey, I love you and I thank the Lord God Almighty that he gave me you. Without you it just wouldn't be the same.
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