Only 57 To Go

My wife and I celebrated our 3rd year as two bonded in holy matrimony... But I guess it shouldn't be two at all... When we betrothed - we became one... "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh" (Matthew 19:5)... But if we are one flesh - you'd think I'd agree with myself a lot more - Ha!

As I look back and remember that day 1,096 days ago (that sounded more dramatic than 3 years...) - I realize that it seems so much longer then that... I feel as if I've always been with my wife... That is odd because I've dated several girls/women in my life - many of whom my family wasn't particularly fond of!!! Some of stated persons I dated for periods of 2 years or more... I can remember what it was like hanging out or dating... I can remember dances and movies I saw with them... I can remember a great deal of specifics from each relationship... But as I've been with my wife for over 3 years now - I've realized something... There's a difference between 'remembering people' and 'having memories with people'... Memories are thoughts or situations that 'take you back' to that special moment...

I have memories of my family: Pizza at Joe's on a Friday night, Christmas dinner where the part of my father was played by an old VHS camcorder, or the time that my mother broke us into the orthodontist's office on the wrong day for my appointment (the policeman didn't think it was so funny, though...), or the kitchen lady in the hair net saying, "You want some ger-ravy?" Now - not every circumstance about these memories were very fun... My dad wasn't at dinner because he was with his dad at the hospital awaiting the passing of his dad... The kitchen lady in the hair net worked in the cafeteria of Evansville hospital as we were waiting for my sister to recover after being shot in the face with a 22... But even so - these memories always take me back to those moments...

My wife and I have made memories, too... Some good: The day she brought over the leaf blower, our first Thanksgiving, the day we got engaged, the double rainbow we saw driving to Edwardsville, eating at IHOP after our honeymoon, the Saturday morning she peed on a stick... Unfortunately - some bad: Spending 19 days in the hospital, holding each other in tears behind a curtain, giving our 2 month old baby shots in his legs twice a day for 3 straight months...

Memories are some of the glue that hold a family together... And I look forward to the many more memories to come...