June 21. The first day of Summer, the
day with the most hours of sunlight. And also our wedding
anniversary. The longest day of the year.
Now, you can read that and go a couple
of different ways. The first inclination of most, and that probably
includes you, is to read those words in a negative connotation. "Oh
my goodness," you probably thought, "he's saying his
anniversary is the longest day of the year--that's not nice!"
Well, it's true; my anniversary is, by daylight hours, the longest
day of the year. But, that means it is the day with the most light in
it. And light is good, right?
Yes. Light is good. In the Bible,
belief in Jesus Christ is described as "light," while
disbelief is described as "darkness." Everyone I know
enjoys the longer days of Summer, and dreads the short days of
Winter. You probably know someone who is afraid of the dark, but do
you know anyone who is afraid of light? Probably not.
So. . . even though I often joke that
our anniversary is the "longest day of the year," knowing
how people will take it, in truth, this day marks the beginning of
greater light in my life. Jesus Christ is the brightest light I have,
but my wife is certainly next. My family is great, my kids are
wonderful, but my wife is a brightly shining light. Without her, I
would not be as close to God as I am. That's another story . . .
maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. But even apart from that, my
life--and I myself--am better for her presence.
17 years ago, my life changed. I knew
she was the one on our first date. That was right around
Thanksgiving. I proposed New Years, and we married in June. We would
have married even earlier, but to avoid family strife, we had to wait
for June. Alas, another story for another day . . . And, for the
suspicious, our oldest is 13. We were not "in trouble." We
were "in love," but more than that, it was just right.
And so it has been for those 17 years.
We are still "in love," but more than that, we are right.
Right for each other, right for God's plan, right for life. She is
right for me and somehow, though I'm not sure why, I am right for
her.
Even though it is my anniversary, I
cannot go so far as to say that we have had a 17 year honeymoon, or
that every day or even every week has been roses and stardust. Life
and marriage simply do not work that way. But every year, in all
honesty, has been better than the last. I tell people that these are
the best days of my life, and I am telling the truth. I often hear
that High School, or college, or the "single days" were the
best years of someone's life. Not me. Last year was the best year I
have ever had, and this year is looking to set a new record. Not
because of any one great thing, or lack of any bad events, but simply
because life just keeps getting better.
My life continues to brighten year to
year, in great part, due to my wife. I really cannot even explain it.
Life is not getting easier--the economy, teen and pre-teen children,
and my aging body see to that--but it keeps getting better. Some
things in life improve with time. I am blessed to say that, for me,
life itself is getting better with time, largely because our marriage
continues to mature.
For those whom I've made nauseous, gag
away. I know what I am saying is against the grain of the world, but
that's OK. That's me. And, believe it or not, it's true.
So the longest day of the year is the
best day, the day with the most light, the most hours to enjoy the
things I love. Such is marriage in my life, and God, I am ever
thankful.
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