My
Greatest Adventure…
By:
Heather Day Gilbert
I used to be an adventurous person. I’d
jump on a motorcycle (and crash into a wall) or jump into a canoe (and crash
into a tree), and just keep on truckin’. Thankfully, all my crashes were minor.
Then I had kids. And I knew I had to
keep myself alive long enough to be the Ultimate Mother-in-Law and Grandma. I’m
not joking, either—I’m a big-picture kinda gal.
Other adventures…well, it’s an adventure
giving birth—the great unknown and uncontrollable is going on, right in your very own body!
It was an adventure for our family to
step out on faith and move a couple of times, not always knowing how things
would turn out. This time, my husband didn’t even have a job locked in first.
But the greatest adventure of my life
would probably be marriage. I think back to my romance-sparkled, youthful
entrance into that holy institution. Here’s a pic of me and the red-headed
Welshman I got to marry:
It's been over fifteen years since that life-changing day.
And we’ve seen sickness and health. We’ve seen mostly poorer, relatively speaking. We don’t have much me time anymore. In fact, to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary, my husband got to unload a moving trailer. We’ve lost sleep, gotten gray hairs, and watched grandparents die. We’ve fought (vigorously debated). We’ve made up. We survived having three children under the age of three at one point.
He’s my best friend. However, sometimes
I want to throw a pot at him (Okay, that was only once. I took a walk in the
woods instead). Generally, we’ve figured out how to keep the peace between
ourselves.
He might not say all the right words. He
might not be there at my beck and call. But he’s by my side when I need him
most—seeing through my independent bravado and giving me the hugs I need. He
knows me better than anyone on earth ever will.
I might not always serve his food
lovingly. I might frequently offer unsolicited advice. But he knows I’ve got
his back, and I’ll back him up no matter what--even if it means preparing to
punch some disrespectful guy on a train (Don’t ask…trying to forget I almost
did that).
Yes,
marriage is work. But good marriages work for a lifetime. You get to
this point and you realize you’d never go back to those newlywed days.
And,
let me tell you, I wouldn’t trade our greatest adventure for anything.
Twitter:
@vikingwritergal
Well said, Heather. If only more people were willing to work at the commitment they made, realize that it isn't always wedding-bells-rosy, but is a compromise between two people that are always there for each other. Seven years in to my marriage and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Great post!
ReplyDeleteAWWW...so sweet. Thank for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMarriage is work but it is such a blessing! I'm so incredibly thankful for my spouse. God gave me a good one!
Yay for marriage! And red-headed Welshmen who've figured out how to stick around for the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteLOVE adventure stories like this. We need more.
Hugs,
Becky
Enjoyed this post, Heather! I cracked up with this line: "...even if it means preparing to punch some disrespectful guy on a train." That sounds like quite an interesting story. :) So your husband is from Wales or of Welsh descent? Either way, he sounds like a stand-up guy. Late happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! Yes, Morgan...this guy (probably drunk) was slamming my hubby (a lawyer) with nasty lawyer comments. Deliberately trying to make him mad. Of course, hubby did not get mad (he was laughing)...I did. I plotted how I'd hunt him down once we got on the train and punch him in the face. I was newly married then. And I tend to take a hard line with bullies...
ReplyDeleteYes, he's part Welsh--I always tell him that must be where the red hair came from. But he's other nationalities, too. :>
Barbara and I were married, divorced, and remarried. Says something about commitment, stubbornness, or perhaps a dearth of other options?
ReplyDeleteReally, it was simply meant to endure, and it has been my greatest adventure, and I think hers, too.
Birth made me human.
Marriage gave me a soul.
Lovely, Andrew!
ReplyDelete