Celebrating Our 18th Anniversary In New York City
Last night my husband proposed to me. He'd just come home from work and he looked kind of cute to me. I ran my fingers through his salt and pepper hair and told him so. He looked me in the eyes and asked, "Would you marry me again?" I was breathless. Gray hair aside, his eyes are as blue as ever! I said, "Yes" and he pulled a box from his pocket. My engagement ring! It's been missing for some time, as it was in much need of repair. I do believe that even today I don't feel as if I've been married 18 years. I feel like I'm 18. Oh, what a little romance will do to this girl!
Of course, this comes at the tail end of three nights in New York City with our dear friends Donna and Troy VanLiere. (Yes, Donna is the New York Times best-selling author of The Christmas Shoes. If you've not read her other works—especially The Angels of Morgan Hill—check out her website right this minute. "Angels" should be on your summer reading list. www.donnavanliere.com) Back to my romantic story. You see, I realize that this butterfly feeling in my tummy is more than just the money spent on a ring lovingly presented. It comes of spending leisurely time with my husband for the past several days. It was so good to walk the streets of New York, sleep in, sip Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity and catch a couple of Broadway shows. We had nothing to do but enjoy each other and our friends. If you think this happens often, I'll send you a page from my planner. In fact, just a few weeks ago we were sitting in our pastor's office telling him how great but starved-for-time our marriage has been. Let me say it once again. Today I'm in dreamy numbness. I believe in marriage. I believe in commitment. But I'll never stop loving the love story. I'm a hopeful romantic.
I challenge you, if you are married, is to go on a date! Run your fingers through his hair. Sip something liquid together. Leave your cell phone at home. If you're starved-for-time, go on a weekend getaway. Can't afford it? You can't afford not to!
Now, if you'll excuse me, my Prince is coming home any moment!
3 Comments:
Awww this was so precious to read Dannah.
It made me long for and look forward all the more to my handsome prince that will one day coming to 'rescue' me.
Its so encouraging to hear and know that marriage IS ROMANTIC, I'm a hopeless romantic myself and in the world today people betray marriage as boring and not fun and give the impression that the romance goes out of your 'love life' as soon as you are married and make the commitment.
I was so thrilled to read your blog and know that marriage is NOT boring. Its exciting, in fact even MORE exciting.
I've read your Secret Keeper & And The Bride Wore White" book. Both are EXCELLENT!
My Mum did a talk on your Secret Keeper book at a Princess Party we did. So many girls were challenged and impacted.
I especially love your 'Seven Secrets To Sexual Purity' one. I could read it over and over again. It challenges me, excites me and has me giddy and pumped about marriage one day. Whoohooo!!!
Thanks Dannah.
♥Elizabeth xo
Your willingness to share details of the ongoing love saga with your husband, Bob, is a welcome look into what marriage can be. ...of what you've allowed your marriage to be. It's fun to read about how you look for ways to carve out time for and delight in each other.
I'd like to share a little romance story of my own...
When my husband, Kerry, and I stepped forward into this marriage, we both applied to become permanent members of the Romantic Fun Patrol. We knew there were a lot of other interesting responsibilities (does anyone really LIKE paying the bills or cleaning the toilet?) but this is the responsibility we love the most. Recently we celebrated our sixth anniversary. Like many, our lives are overfull and busy. We had dreamy plans of doing lots and lots of NOTHING together. Spend the day at home, sleep in late, make homemade waffles topped with strawberries, nap. Reread our marriage ceremony, nap, wander around the property, admire the new flowers...nap. And not do one single project or pull one teeny tiny weed!
Then I hurt my back. By the second day I knew our plans were tanked. I was really feeling sad.
Kerry then suggested we look at his collection of slides (slides!) from his cross-country motorcycle trips when he was about 20 years old. Ummmmm, ok. And you know what? It was great. I learned so much about this guy in looking at who he was as a young man. Cute, tall, adventurous, daring (hair!). Curious about EVERYthing, so young and eager. I felt another little part of my heart open to him that day listening to his stories and dreams. What a cool guy he was back then. What a cool guy he is now. Sometimes romance looks like flowers and chocolate ... sometimes it's looking at motorcycle trip slides.
What a beautiful concept, to get married again. My husband and I have been married for nearly 7 years, have been through torture, nearly split up more times than I can count, and today we're very much in love. We've talked about having a second wedding, too. :-)
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