Sunday, December 13, 2009

Twelve Years!


Once upon a December afternoon twelve years ago, when Jon and I vowed to spend the rest of our lives together, come hell or high water, boom or bust, and walked out into the bright, snowy world and thrown birdseed and the blue, crisp sky glittered with frost covered trees, I knew that December would always be ours.

What I have learned over these past twelve years is this : love is a choice. Sure, sometimes love is all swooning and songbirds and blue skies, but love is frequently sickness and recessions and exhaustion and whiny children. True love is not a reflex, an unconscious, bone-deep response, but a deliberate exercise, something in the muscles that you have to flex, flex, and flex some more. Love is being kind and brave when all you really want to do is put your head under your pillow and call it a day. Love is relentlessly, foolishly, hopelessly optimistic in spite of everything. Love is watching our wedding video with our now three children and still getting teary and dancing again to our first dance song with the three of them dancing with us.

Love is choosing us, no matter what.

And, twelve years ago, I'm sure glad I made the best choice of them all.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

You speak so eloquently Lorrie! You guys look so young in that picture! You have not aged one bit, of course, but Jon has!!! It must be the black hair back then compared to the salt-and-pepper look now!

Melanie

Anonymous said...

Your words could not be more true and could not have been said better. I agree with Melanie, you speak very eloquently, I think you should have those words published and read at every wedding to come. You are truly a delight, I am so glad you are part of this family.
Congratulations to both of you.
Love, Sandy

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I had forgotten how beautiful your dress was. What a really good looking pair you make.
Sandy

Julie B said...

awww so well said! I actually got a little teary-eyed reading it..very powerful words!