30 days of Thankfulness - Day 1

So there's this Facebook tradition - every November.  They call it "The 30 Days of Thankfulness".  Every day in November half of the people on Facebook post a status update about what they're thankful for.  I didn't post my thankfulness post today - but it wasn't because I forgot, or because it slipped my mind.  It was because I couldn't figure out exactly how to say what I felt, let alone put it into a simple status update that wasn't 18 miles long.  That's when I got this bright idea to blog my 30 days instead.  Not only is it a better platform to explain why I'm thankful for the things I'm thankful for, but also - writing is one of only a handful of things I do for my own self.  Maybe I'm being selfish, but sometimes there's nothing wrong with that.  Lucky for my loyal readers, some days will be shorter than others ;)

So here we are, Day 1.

Today, November 1, 2013, I am thankful for my marriage.  Not only my marriage, but the man that chose to take me for his wife.  That's pretty much how it happened, you know...after three years of dating, he didn't really bother to ask.  He chose me.  He took me, and I allowed myself to be taken (I still have to wonder who really took who here, but that's of no consequence).

Don had just spent 10 months out to sea (a six month deployment became ten), and  it was his first weekend home in nearly a year.  He told me that he wanted to get away from people, away from civilization, so we went camping at Oxbow (Washington State DNR).  We packed up the truck, packed up the dog, the tent, the firewood, the cribbage board, a cooler full of beer, enough food for three days, and we simply drove up to the boonies that are Washington State DNR territory.  Got to the site, pitched the tent, unloaded the truck (we had to hike into our site, it was gorgeous, right on the Hoh river) and lit the campfire.  Sat there for a few hours in exceptionally comfortable silence as the darkness grew thicker around us, the crickets grew louder in our ears, and the fact that we were finally together once again genuinely and truly sank in.  So there we were, sitting around the campfire, just watching it burn.  Sgt. Pepper asleep next to Don's chair.  That's back when it was just the three of us against the world.  It had been a good 15 minutes of crackling, popping fire, no words were spoken (none were truly needed).  Don broke the silence and asked what I was thinking about.  I was just so happy to be back in his company, back in his arms.  I sheepishly shrugged and simply smiled.  He said "You thinking about marriage?  Thinking about kids?".  Mind you, we'd been together nearly three years and been through 2 solid deployments.  There was nothing I wouldn't do for him, nor he for me. We both knew it.  When he was deployed I had spent my weekends baking cookies for his division and creating care packages to keep him comfortably reminded of the love that waited for him back on the home front.  He had been gone 10 months and now he wanted to know what I was thinking about?  PSHAW!  Riiiiiiight.  I wasn't about to admit that our future had been on my mind.  There was absolutely no question that we'd be together - I had just spent a lot of time considering what our future looked like exactly.  He was divorced, with an AMAZING son from his first marriage, and the very last thing I wanted was to pressure him into another marriage that he might not be ready for.  I didn't even care, I just knew that I loved him.  And he loved me.  And it was working.  Marriage was out there, sure - but nothing I expected nor would even have CONSIDERED demanding.   So "What are you thinking about?" he says.   I sort of giggled under my breath at his question.  I looked up at the sky, and saw the most brilliant starry night I'd seen since leaving home.  Looking back, it seems odd that the stars would have shone so brightly - granted we were out in the middle of nowhere - but at the same time, this brilliant campfire was blazing steady and strong.  After a few more moments of comfortable, warm, serene silence (we never HAVE been the kind that needed a lot of words) - he said "You know you're going to marry me."  That's when I stopped staring at the brilliance that was the universe above, brought my eyes level to his, smiled, and started to cry.  I nodded my head and gave a simple "Yes, I know."  That was September 27, 2003.  We were married just shy of three months later,  on December 14th.

Since then we've been through a lot.  Both good and bad, amazing and heartbreaking, but we've been through it all together.  Life, death, comedy, tragedy, love, and even a little bit of discontent.  What marriage doesn't go through a little bit of discontent?  The thing that gets me is... his love for me has never wavered.  He has given me two beautiful children that are such an immense blessing, and he has shown me what true love really is.  Honest, heartfelt, love.  Love worth fighting for, love worth believing in, and love that is meant to be.

He is my TFA man, and I am his Lighthouse Girl.  It was in our vows, and it still holds true 10 years after the fact.

Today, November 1, 2013...I am thankful for my marriage, and thankful for the man that chose to take me as his wife.