to love and commit to care for your love {marriage}
i see myself on the way out of sickness that began about easter sunday. i think the mold and pollen in the air on our texas vacation started me sneezing which led to coughing, and upon our return home weakness, aches, fever, and continued coughing took over for a good week. i don't feel completely back to normal, but i feel great considering where i was.
several days back, as i was making breakfast, H asked: "how are you feeling today, mom?"
me: "oh, i feel a lot better. still some pressure and stuff around my ears and in my head."
H: "what's your temperature?"
me: "well, the last i checked, i was in the 99s. that was last night."
H: "how high did your temperature get?"
me: "i was over 102."
H: "and what are you now?"
i took a moment to check: "about 99."
H: "good."
me: "why?"
H: "i was just thinking."
me: "about what?
H runs off down the hallway and returns holding AF's hands, and they are smiling at each other.
H asks AF: "ready?" AF nods.
the girls in unison say: "we thought you had scarlet fever!"
"oh, of course" was my first thought. we watched a hallmark movie several nights prior with a mom coughing (check) with a high temperature (sort of check--i am sure this mom reached higher than me) and lying in bed (check) looking miserable (check, again). this movie mom had scarlet fever and passed away.
yes, H, i see. my lingering 99 temperature at the time was quite good.
our recent vacation at the end of march started with a wedding. espi's oldest brother's son, our nephew, is now a husband.
of anything in this life that is marked with "sacred," i believe marriage is about as high on the list as it can get.
uniting with another is not to be taken lightly.
another soul is at risk. bringing children into the picture, dear additional lives are at risk, too.
when espi and i knew we wanted each other and a life together, i remember naively feeling like "i don't feel i need a wedding ceremony. i feel married, commited to him already." a courthouse will suffice. i always tended to be a "no fluff" kind of girl, because how many girls would even consider for a moment dismissing their own wedding?? but the oneness with espi in my mind and in my heart, i was already beginning to feel in a strong way.
however, in my young days of love, it didn't take too long to realize that i wanted to celebrate, espi and his love that was so wonderful and i believed (and still do) God brought together, openly with as many people that cared about us and our future together and could and wanted to witness. encouragement and accountability is awesome.
i remember our day as joyful and meaningful. i think i had a smile on my face the whole time, and it felt easy. it was a beautiful start.
i so much enjoyed being present for our nephew's wedding and seeing the tenderness and warmth that he exuded and shone on his day. his wife is a lovely, fun compliment to him. my brother-in-law officiated in his heartfelt and meaningful way. the whole weekend was enwrapped in generosity and love from family and friends making the events of the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception festive, delicious, and special. our girls and one of their cousins were flower girls. our little four year old is quite an adventurous one, but her reservations showed while tossing those flower petals down the isle and standing away from mom and dad for a time in front of many. we'll see if she is as eager to take on such a role again if the opportunity is presented in the future.
my nephew and his wife are both at the start of their 20s as they wed last month. one of my dear childhood friends did the very same, making her and her husband's marriage now almost 20 years strong. she and her husband beat me and espi to it by about 6 years. i was 26 on our wedding day.
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if married, how about you? how young were you when you wed?