The Great Stuff

I was watching a movie the other night called Sarah's Choice. It was a good message, not a great movie, the acting was not real great but one conversation stood out to me. A young man was asking his uncle about marriage, was it hard, was it worth it? The uncle said, " yes it's hard, it can be good, it can be awful at first, but too many people give up before they get to the great." The great stuff, he said, is what makes marriage worthwhile.

I'm at the great stuff. I almost gave up. We split up once, for about three days. I didn't want to move from Ohio, away from my family. I was young and just spent two years in Germany. I did not want to move to a little town that had nothing, if you think our little town is bad now, try twenty three years ago when there really was only one stoplight, now I think we have four.

I was being stubborn, I was being demanding, and I went to my parents house. On day one I was missing him, on day two my two kids were crying for their dad, on day three I met him back at the apartment, we packed up our stuff and I got pregnant with kid number three. We moved.

Best thing we ever did. I love my little town. I love my husband for always providing for us and taking care of us. For being strong and determined. For never giving up on me. We pushed through the bad stuff, the lean years, the crying babies, and the immaturity, because really that's what it is. Immaturity. I'm not talking about real domestic problems, abuse, infidelity. I'm talking about the boredom, the never ending day to day stuff. The why did I get married. Why isn't it as exciting as it was. Push through that young people, because then you get to the great stuff.

The trust. I can depend on my husband. I trust him completely. I know he is dependable, I know he will never leave me, and I know that when he tells me something, its the truth. Trust is some great stuff.

The companionship. He is my bud. My best friend. I can't wait to see him every day when he comes home at lunch because something funny, stupid, or important might have happened that morning and I get to tell him and he acts interested, I may have a new picture of our granddaughter. I will even go to dumb ole Home Depot with him because I like to be with him, and talk. Companionship that's some great stuff.

Romance. It's gets better then 18 year old teenager longing, believe me yes it does. Romance is some great stuff.

Jewelry. He can afford to give me more because I stuck around and helped him get through college so he could get a better job. Jewelry is some great stuff. :)

Shared memories. We have been through it. Highs, lows, every memory I have for the last thirty years has Earl in it somewhere and he remembers too. Something we can talk about, cry or smile over. Shared memorie is some great stuff.

Love. He loves me. I love him. Jamie told me the best advice anyone ever told him about marriage was to prefer one another. Earl told a young man once, that was about to get married, make her your very best friend, put her above everyone else. He does that to me. I do that to him. Ask the kids, it was me and him against three. We stuck together. That is the great stuff, young people when you are number one in someone's life and you know it, there is nothing you can't handle together. Stick in there and wait for the great stuff!

I may have to divorce him though, tonight he asked me if I wanted to move to Minnesota.