Month to Month

Apparently my new blogging habit is to only blog once a month. As to be expected, my life as been hectic. School pretty much runs things, with wedding details taking a close second. The silver lining to all of this stress is that I really know how to appreciate some down time! I have my little rules I follow (no homework after 9 p.m, Mexican food for Tuesday night dinner) and those little joys help me along the way.
I've been thinking about the wedding a lot lately (a little over a month away now). But even more than that, I've been thinking about the marriage that I want David and I to share. We talk often about the children we would like to have one day, and how we would raise them, and the things we would do the same or different than what we have experienced and seen. We talk about dreams that we have for the future, our castles in the sky (Little Women reference), about traveling, and living in different places, and renovating a historic home, and taking trips to Napa Valley for wine tasting train rides.
It seems that so much time is spent looking to the future. Anticipating what will come next. I hope that in all of our dreaming, we don't forget to linger in the day to day moments. Sure,living in a camper for the first few months isn't everything that we dreamed of; but cherishing that time we have together, just the two of us and our very mobile home is something I hope we don't forget to do.
We have been blessed with examples of wonderful marriages. Our parents have each been married for more than 25 years. They alone have been such a great example of working as a team, a single unit. But there are other marriages too, young marriages of the people we worship with and of our siblings. Marriages in stages that are so much more like what we will be facing. Marriages that have lasted decades, even more than half a century.
There is one marriage in particular that I view with awe. For those who know me well, you've heard me talk about it. It's the marriage of Mrs. Dorris and Mr. Millard Herring. Mr. Millard is 99 years old. The oldest member of the church David and I will exchange vows at. Mrs. Dorris is several years younger than him, I think maybe 5 or 6. They were married at that same church when Mrs. Dorris was 16. They hadn't known each other long (less than a year), but knew that they would spend their lives together.
I'm sure that there were times throughout their lives when they faced hardship and heartache. I'm sure that every single day wasn't full of sunshine and roses. But when you talk to them about their life together, they only mention the happiness. When you ask them about memories of beginning their lives together, they share such joy and tell tale with tears from laughter staining their cheeks. Mrs. Dorris's face still lights up like that of a 16 year old girl when she talks about their wedding day, or raising their children, or grandchildren, or celebrating their 50th or 75th anniversary.
I hope that David and I will experience a marriage like that. I pray that God will be a part of our marriage and our home and that he will bless our lives like he has blessed theirs.
I hope to be 94 one day, still holding my true love's hand.