it's all UPhill from here!

The alarm went off with an irritating blare but my eyes still couldn't manage to open.  Instead, instinctively, my arm dropped over to the other side of the bed.  Yep.  Empty.  Love had been up and off to work for at least 2 hours, as usual.  But today is a different day.  Today, we have been in married (sometimes) bliss  for 7 whole years.  SEVEN YEARS!  Feels like a lifetime ago that I was a 20-something virgin bride, ready to marry my version of a Prince and live out my version of happily ever after. Didn't take long for reality to kick fantasy right out our 1 bedroom apartment window and down our suburban street to another unsuspecting couple.  Don't get me wrong...Love is a Prince, just not my pre-marriage fantasy version.  And little perfect me with my quick tongue, fragile emotions and rebellious ways have shocked him out of fantasy on more than a few occasions. :-)  The unexpected has dominated the short time we've been married and I suspect the future holds more of the same.  Ah!  The drama of life! 

So what have I learned in these past 7 years?  Marriage can bring out the deep in you.  Deep Beauty.  Deep Love.  Deep anger.  Deep ugly.  These last 7 years have taught me how desperately I need God so the good side of the deep can be my companion on the regular.  I've learned that reality can be better than fantasy when I SEE a real person and accept him for the unique Royalty he is.  When I pay enough attention, I see my real Prince, through good bad and ugly.  That trumps fantasy anyday!

  

What does Year 7 mean to me?  Completion.  The deal is sealed. But tentatively.  This is hump year.  My parents, whom I love, divorced in Year 7.  And everyone in the world talks about the 7 year itch.  Well, this is when my rebellious ways kick into high gear.  I'm on the offense.  Love harder, forgive often and leap over the camel's back.  If it's up to me, there will be no generational curses sweeping through my house.

I shared with a divorced friend at work as we rode up the elevator this morning that today was my 7 year wedding anniversary.  We both laughed as he said "uh oh.  It's all downhill from here!" A second later I was in the elevator alone with a smile lingering on my face. I thought and then I said, "No.  It's all UPhill from here!"

bite of the day ~ Change a negative into a positive. No matter what society says, it's up to you.  Pray for us.  This is the best year of our marriage thus far!

thirtiesgirl