Cherished

Fourteen years ago on this day, I married my best friend.

Mr. Amazing and I got married outside a little church in Colorado, with the beautiful Rocky Mountains as our backdrop. I wore my mother's wedding dress, which was originally her mother's wedding dress. Mr. Amazing's uncle was our Minister. It was a beautiful day, sunny and 70, just as I knew it would be, despite the weather man predicting cold and potentially snow.

We stood in front of our families and beloved friends and recited vows that I had struggled to write and be satisfied with and then we exchanged our rings.

With this ring, I thee wed...

We pictured ourselves still loving each other when we were old, our bodies stooped over, shuffling from room to room in that characteristic elderly way. He might have a form of dementia by then but of course he would still remember me. I might be disabled by then but we would still cuddle and laugh our nights away together.

We thought that was all far far into the future. We never considered the possibility that one of us would reach that vision of "old" at the ripe young age of 32, after just ten beautiful years together.

...In sickness and in health... 

I didn't expect our lives would require this of us so soon, not when we both had so much living left to do. But then, life is never predictable. The only constant is change. And the reality is we will all end up in this place, disabled to whatever degree by illness. It just came to me sooner than anticipated.

It is one thing to honor that part of our commitment when life is all sweet smelling lilies and sunshine; when "sickness" means a head cold, the flu, an infection, temporary.

It is quite another thing altogether to honor that commitment when "sickness" means chronic, disabling, unexpected, permanent.

Mr. Amazing does not complain. Caregiver has been added on to his role of husband, yet he is not dissatisfied nor resentful. He manages to be the sole household earner while also picking up all the pieces I have to set down: cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, getting the kids ready and out the door for school every morning, driving each of us to various places...the list goes on and on. He remains stoic through it all, though not without feeling. Certainly he worries over me and feels helpless at times, yet he continues to be solid and full of peace.

It brings tears to my eyes when I reflect on this man's love for me. His dedication and devotion. His strength and character. I knew I had married the greatest man I had ever met, but I didn't know he would turn out to be even more amazing than I ever could have imagined.

After fourteen years, through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, we still know, no matter where life takes us, we will be happy to be there together.