Vow Renewal

On a hot Iowa day, Bryon and I renewed our vows. We were surrounded by our family of choice after a delicious picnic potluck. It looked something like this--notice the rain. I wish I could say I planned that.

I could tell you what 25 years of marriage is like. Marriage is work, because the person you're married to now wasn't the person you married 25 years ago. Every time you change, he changes a little. Every time he changes, you do too. When each of you becomes a little bit more of someone else, the other of you keeps up. Good marriage is like dancing, and each of you steps just a little bit behind or ahead of the other. No one gives everything or takes everything, but sometimes you lead. Sometimes you follow. Sometimes you run a three-legged race. And sometimes you physically carry each other. But you keep up with each other, because the other person is worth it.

In 25 years, love changes. There's still attraction and romance, but if you've done it right, there's a respect for each other that has been earned over the years and is a point of mutual admiration. You aren't embarrassed by anything about each other any more. You laugh. You are jolly friends. As well as business partners and hot lovers. You are a team. You are a couple. And you are head over heels, still.

I have been very lucky. While my marriage hasn't been without rough patches on occasion, overall every day is better than the last. Our best days are ahead of us. No matter what our lives throw at us, we will put our heads together and use our teamwork to get to where we need to be. The way we do. With cleverness and creativity, with love for each other, and with profound respect for the choice we each made years ago, to share our lives with each other, which was not a choice made lightly, and which is a choice we made again, yesterday, when we renewed our vows.

While I am on my silver anniversary vacation, I will be away from Writer Tamago. I'll see you when I get back, sometime the weekend of the 26th. No, really, I won't be toting my computer along. Because this is a special time for us. I enjoy you all, but it'd be hard to explain all of you on a romantic vacation.

There will probably be some vacation pictures, so you will hardly miss me. Think exotic locales and Mickey Mouse.

Take care, and keep being creative.

Cath

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.