Love -- Grace

The first year of marriage was supposed to be an exciting new adventure with the one you love.  A new home with new dishes, new towels and a mix of furniture from his
family and yours.  A new start.

For me, unfortunately, my first year of marriage was clouded by grief.  My mother had just passed away six weeks before my wedding.  Of course we went through with the ceremony.  My mother would have wanted it that way.  But after the excitement of the wedding, the reality set in that she was gone.  My new husband would often find me crying alone in the bedroom.  I’m sure he was wondering what he had gotten himself into.  I wanted so badly to pick up the phone and talk to my mom.  I had so many questions now that I was a wife and a homemaker.  I didn’t feel comfortable asking my new mother-in-law.  So yes, there were a lot of botched recipes, ruined laundry and many other mishaps that first year.  No one ever told me about cleaning out the lint filter in the dryer.  Whoops!  Did I mention that I had grown up the youngest of three children and I was pretty much spoiled rotten?  I even talked my new husband into getting a kitten during our first few months of marriage!  And he was NOT a cat person.

Well we survived that first year.  And we have survived almost 24 more years.

We made a decision to love each other and be committed to the one we made a vow to on our wedding day.  Some days have been easier than others but we have never once considered calling it quits. We’ve witnessed more than our share of broken marriages.  Many of our dear friends have been through much heartache and suffering as a result of divorce.  We both come from homes where thankfully our parents stayed married and divorce wasn’t an option.  I pray that our children will have these same values.

Love is a choice. Love is a decision. Love is a commitment.  I am so thankful for the one I love.  The man God gave me to love and to cherish.  He is who I think of when I hear the word “Love”.