Seven Years and Counting....

Seven years ago today, I tossed my shorts and t-shirt aside in favor of wearing a platinum beaded gown while exchanging wedding vows with a cute boy named Tobe. It was indeed, the best day ever for me.

Seven years, two kids, and lots of laughs later, that cute boy and I are still hanging out. Good times, my friend.

As I stood beside my friend Laura Saturday afternoon, listening to her exchange her own wedding vows I began to think how less complicated things might be if those vows were a bit more specific. Sure, it's easy to pledge "in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health...." while looking your most fabulous and surrounded by beautiful flowers and smiling friends. Although pledging to plod through marriage in the unpleasant times, such sadness and grief seems unfathomable as one stands before their newly appointed spouse, their commitment declared before a joyous audience.

Then reality hits. Life settles into a routine. The wedding gown is exchanged for track pants and the tux is switched out with the sweaty lawn mowing clothes. The vows began to gain some validity as couples began to actually experience the sickness, the bad times, the grief, the struggles, and pain. Wouldn't it have been nice had the preacher been able to be specific that magical wedding day and have asked, "Will you take this woman when she splurges one too many times at the mall or loses a parent much too early or struggles with infertility for years or has to be spoon-fed at the nursing home? and Will you take this man when he forgets to pitch in with the chores around the house or battles cancer or experiences early-onset dementia?"

Might not be quite as romantic when repeating such vows, but it sure would be real.

Fortunately I married a man who never promised a fairytale, who one time told me that there will be times in our marriage when we like each other and times that we don't, but we will always love each other. I married a man who is honest, supportive, the leader of my fan club, loving, wise, and an amazing father.

Our first seven years have been quite good to us. Bring on the next seventy.