The hubs and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on May 1. TEN YEARS. A decade of loving, fighting, crying, laughing, shopping, watching TV, eating meals, budgeting (uuuggggghhhh...), vacationing, dreaming, and just general hanging out. And I still like him. In fact, I think I like him more now than when I first met him. Lucky guy. Lucky girl.
For our anniversary, he whisked me away to a little cabin by Lake Buchanan. We had 3 days of just us and the baby. One day, love, we'll make it away without any little people. I promise.
While Dave was fishing from the dock one day I wrote this about him. He said I could share it here.
He rinses his hands in the lake. Nightcrawler guts floating away. He stoops low to secure the line and balance the weights, rising only when things as just so. More rinsing of the hands, shaking them dry, arms flung wide in the same way I've watched for a decade of days. Effortlessly he casts the line, glances about at the methodically rippling water and places his left foot ahead of his stance - knee slightly bent, relaxed and completely absorbed in his surroundings. He takes that stance often - relaxed, absorbed, 100% present and enjoying his current moment. The morning sun against his white shirt make his shoulders to look broader than usual. That or I'm fully embracing the weight those shoulders bear. They must be broad, broad and strong lest they collapse beneath the load.
He climbs on a docked boat that isn't ours. "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." (Douglas Bader, WWII pilot) Always pushing the limits, he would rather ask forgiveness than permission. The beauty in his rebellion is that ask for forgiveness he would - with a depth of sincerity and honesty you'd never think he even meant to push the boundary. I can nearly hear his mind pondering, exacting, figuring and crunching. It does this even as he sleeps - a mind so at work and so at peace that it finds the solutions for him while he dreams. The man though, the physical body of this man relishes rest - peace, down time. If his head rests on any surface of any kind for more than a few moments, you can bet he's asleep. Brain at work, body at rest. There was a time I prided myself in this man who had no enemies - "everyone loves Dave." He could punch you in the gut; deliver the worst blow and yet he still seemed to be adored by all. I've grown to realize the naiveté of my pride. That was a man who valued peace over truth. Now stands before a man who values peace but not at the expense of truth. Truth now comes from his lips laced and marinated in peace. He still has few enemies but not because he isn't speaking his mind and heart - he's just doing it in a new way. But make no mistake, if grace can be extended and grievances overlooked, he will always take that road. And I am better for it.
Strong.
Capable.
Educated in the things of the world that matter.
A dreamer who always manages to keep his feet on the ground.
A father who rises early and rests late for the good of those he leads.
A husband willing to bear more that I may live less taxed.
This is my love and I am thankful for him.
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