Summer Love

I can remember standing in front of my mirror about the age of my older daughter (13) and singing away .....Summer love had me a blast lalalala ......I will spare you all the lyrics! But there was something about that song......that I just loved it was a frequent on my set list :-)

As I think about my love story now......one word comes to mind "distance" I know that isn't very romantic! There are many other words that would run a close second romance, tenderness, devotion, patience , and so on!! But distance is what comes to my mind now!

I was so bothered a few weeks ago when I saw segment on the news after the Gores announced their split after 40 years. First of all I was saddened for them and their family, to invest 40 years in a marriage and life together and just toss it to the side boggles my mind. But that isn't what truly bothered me, there was some type of "expert" ( I use that word very loosely) speaking to the fact that more and more couples are getting divorced later in life. In her words its a "trend" ! Lovely !!
Remember the term the "seven year itch" I remember after we made it 7 years thinking to myself well we are home free now !! She went onto to discuss that it use to be that if a couple made it 25 years they were in it for the long haul. To me that seems like a no brainer. But according to our new trend that is no longer the case. Couples are realizing that "they can find happiness later in life". In the second half or their life, as they have matured they are not the same person they were on their wedding day (no kidding) and now they may not be being fulfilled in their present marriage. What ever happened to the happiness of seeing your commitment to the end, fulfilling your vows, weathering the storms together, sickness and health till death do us part! Do those words ring a bell to anyone!! Almost all of us said those words in some order on the day we married !
But now we are faced with a new "trend" that sends all that out the window. For what ? oh that's right HAPPINESS !!
You know what I say to that .......its an escape hatch for a lot of selfish people! Its funny a few of us were sitting around talking about what we would do when our kids are grown and our commitments are less, not one of us said "it will be my time" or "finally I will do my own thing" We all chatted about how it will be a blessing to have more time to minister to others needs and take time to listen and not be so distracted. We would be able to mentor those who are in our shoes right now !! News flash that is true happiness !!
So that brings me back to my word DISTANCE !! When I was in 8th grade I ran cross country track, I was soooo slow but I loved being with friends. I also tell my kids all the time that they had a pizza party at the end of the season that I loved :-) But I started every race with the team and even though they always blew past me I steadily walked/ran the rest of it ....I always finished ..no short cuts ....staying on course....until I was over the finish line.
That's how I see my marriage......I am in it for the big pizza party !! Seriously, I want to make it to the end of the season with the team ( my husband and I) I want to go the distance.......it may seem easier to take a short cut, jump of course for a while or just call the race all together ! But there is something to be said for staying the course and crossing that finish line. Trends will come and trends will go........so I am going to let this one pass right on by me !
As I get ready to celebrate 14 years married .....romance is still very important to me but more important than that is knowing that our love and commitment is going the DISTANCE!! Our marriage is like a 3 legged race, sometimes we may stumble and fall but we are tied together by our hearts and we will cross that finish line together even if one is dragging the other !!