Sunday, February 13, 2011

What I Wish I Had Known...

 

 I am happily married and have been for 30 years, in June. I met my husband right in my home town. We actually met for the first time while we were both in high school. We went to the same school but he was a few years older than me so we didn't really connect at that time. After graduation he went to U of MD and I went to Messiah College.  As it turned out, two of my brother's best friends were his roommates and when they came home on the weekends they would bring him to our church. We had a great young adult group at the time that just sprang up completely on it's own...no leadership...just a bunch of friends hanging out. I came home on weekends to be with the gang. We went bowling a lot and that is where I met my husband "again". This time it was not only memorable but unforgettable, really. We started to see each other and six months later we were engaged.

We are really different, my hubby and I, and I'm not just talking about the usual things that separate men and women. I mean, he's quiet, introverted and private. I'm talkative, outgoing and open. He's even tempered, mathematical, disciplined and conservative. I'm emotional, terrible with numbers, and artsy, although I do have a practical side. He came from a broken home where he never had a thing handed to him. I had a relatively easy, breezy childhood and was spoiled for sure. Sometimes I wonder how he puts up with me! I love his quiet strength and dependability and he grooves on my singing voice...somehow it works.



Isn't it cool the way God designed opposites to attract? I wish I had fully understood that from the beginning of our relationship. It bothered me at first that he and I were so different. To be honest, I didn't think he understood me at all most of the time. I have had quite a few pity parties over the past 3 decades. I know I have been self centered and unkind. But thankfully, God has grown me...through life's adversities and through a committed relationship with a very patient and mature man. You see, as it turned out, my husband was always wise beyond his years because he had to grow up fast. I was immature and selfish and I thought the world revolved around me and my needs. I learned different...and after I learned, I began to have a deeper appreciation for many things about him that I had previously misunderstood. But I wish I had known then what I know now, I wish I could go back and be more understanding and less selfish. But we all have to walk the path God lays out for us. I am blessed to be walking through my life with the most amazing man ever. I pray that I never stop learning how to appreciate him. Happy Valentine's Day, Honey!


     

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