Seventeen Years and Counting
My husband is leaving me tomorrow. Today we celebrated our seventeenth anniversary. It's always this way because we got married on July 18, right in the very middle of the summer when he always has to jet off for an annual church-related meeting. Some years, he's even gone on our actual anniversary day.
But we are a very low-maintenance couple. I'm an extremely low-maintenance wife, in fact. He should thank me for that. While the baby was napping, we had brunch at a very hoity-toity restaurant overlooking the Puget Sound. We spent $50.00 on our meal. And wouldn't you know it? Someone gave us a check for $50.00 today for our anniversary. I like to think that God is looking out for us.
We never linger in restaurants. We're kind of that couple who speaks a little, but mostly sits in companionable silence, gazing out the windows, trying to eavesdrop on other patrons (I'm the eavesdropper--he mostly wishes he had a tiny little television screen attached to his wrist so he could always keep tabs on Fox News). We finished so quickly that I dropped him off at home and went to the grocery store. We need provisions during these five days he'll be gone and I most certainly do not want to take four children into the grocery store. That would be financial suicide.
We agreed not to exchange gifts or even cards. I'm unsentimental like that. I've heard people talk about renewing their vows and stuff like that, which I find to be a silly idea. My vows haven't expired and I hated putting on the whole wedding the first time around. I didn't like all those people watching me walk up the aisle, I didn't like the long session with the photographer, I didn't like having to make small talk with so many people. Why would I do that to myself again?
Anyway, so happy anniversary to me. It really is easier to stay married the longer you've been married. If, of course, you chose wisely. I chose a man who is kind, calm, diligent, trustworthy, dependable, funny--very, very funny--a man with good friends and a consistent, solid world-view, a man who seeks to understand theology and who longs to be an authentic follower of Christ. He also puts up with me, which is quite an undertaking since I am 1) a woman and 2) always right and 3) ridiculously sequential in the way I deal with the world. Also, he laughs at my sarcastic jokes. How can I not stay married to a guy like that?
And now, I have to go clean out our 1992 Buick. It's sitting in the church parking lot with a trunk full of hamster cages and a Lego table and other assorted junk. I need to empty it because we are donating it to charity. The last time it didn't start we decided enough was enough. The poor thing has 265,000+ miles on it. From now on, we're a one-car family.
My husband leaves at 6:20 a.m. and what better way to spend our last night together--our anniversary night--than for me to be cleaning out the old car? Happy Anniversary, Dear!
But we are a very low-maintenance couple. I'm an extremely low-maintenance wife, in fact. He should thank me for that. While the baby was napping, we had brunch at a very hoity-toity restaurant overlooking the Puget Sound. We spent $50.00 on our meal. And wouldn't you know it? Someone gave us a check for $50.00 today for our anniversary. I like to think that God is looking out for us.
We never linger in restaurants. We're kind of that couple who speaks a little, but mostly sits in companionable silence, gazing out the windows, trying to eavesdrop on other patrons (I'm the eavesdropper--he mostly wishes he had a tiny little television screen attached to his wrist so he could always keep tabs on Fox News). We finished so quickly that I dropped him off at home and went to the grocery store. We need provisions during these five days he'll be gone and I most certainly do not want to take four children into the grocery store. That would be financial suicide.
We agreed not to exchange gifts or even cards. I'm unsentimental like that. I've heard people talk about renewing their vows and stuff like that, which I find to be a silly idea. My vows haven't expired and I hated putting on the whole wedding the first time around. I didn't like all those people watching me walk up the aisle, I didn't like the long session with the photographer, I didn't like having to make small talk with so many people. Why would I do that to myself again?
Anyway, so happy anniversary to me. It really is easier to stay married the longer you've been married. If, of course, you chose wisely. I chose a man who is kind, calm, diligent, trustworthy, dependable, funny--very, very funny--a man with good friends and a consistent, solid world-view, a man who seeks to understand theology and who longs to be an authentic follower of Christ. He also puts up with me, which is quite an undertaking since I am 1) a woman and 2) always right and 3) ridiculously sequential in the way I deal with the world. Also, he laughs at my sarcastic jokes. How can I not stay married to a guy like that?
And now, I have to go clean out our 1992 Buick. It's sitting in the church parking lot with a trunk full of hamster cages and a Lego table and other assorted junk. I need to empty it because we are donating it to charity. The last time it didn't start we decided enough was enough. The poor thing has 265,000+ miles on it. From now on, we're a one-car family.
My husband leaves at 6:20 a.m. and what better way to spend our last night together--our anniversary night--than for me to be cleaning out the old car? Happy Anniversary, Dear!
posted by Melodee at Sunday, July 18, 2004
1 Comments:
Sounds like you did choose a good man! Congratulations & happy anniversary!
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