Our history…. that’s been on my mind a great deal lately. Oh, maybe for a couple of years, which I guess is a little more than lately.
There are infinite, extraordinary events that just thinking about brings a smile to my face. They are etched in my mind and no one can ever remove the memories that are the very substance of my adulthood. Far too many to count.
- The birth of my beautiful Devon who was born with her amazing eyes wide open, ready to observe and take grasp of the world. She was, and remains, ready to take life by the horns.
- W graduating from college and me being so proud I could burst because we’d succeeded despite the lack of rent money and having a baby just 2 short years into our oh-so-young marriage.The odds were against us and we did it anyway. We never even entertained failure.
- W and I getting the keys to our first on-base housing duplex. We were in this tiny little town called Milton that had a Piggly Wiggly grocery store and I was so happy and so proud that we were there.It was the birth of our independence; our family of 3 out there on our own with no safety net.
- Our move to Jacksonville in 2 separate cars and W not complaining that I needed to stay in a hotel halfway through a 5 hour trip because that impending bundle of joy, Nick, was wearing me out. My amazing son was born several weeks later and our family was complete.
- Making friends in every city we moved to ~ friends who replace your family in many cases. Being a military family sets you apart and though it’s sometimes isolated, it’s also indescribably supportive. It was an amazing journey.
- Standing on the tarmac at NAS Jax watching my husband return from 6 month deployments; his helicopter a dot on the horizon; taking so long to come down the river and land in front of me. Seeing his face after a half year of being without him. Feeling that peace that comes with knowing you can lean on someone and breathe again.
- The softball games, the baseball games, the lacrosse games, the cheerleading, my children’s friends, my children’s shining moments, my children….period.
- Our first home purchase. Our only home purchase. After 20 years of marriage, a sense of permanence. The excitement of being able to paint a wall without asking someone and the anticipation of making memories within these walls.
I cherish those moments and so many others; big and small. My life is composed of these memorable snippets of time and are all bound together in the ordinary day-to-day minutea.
Sometimes people forget the beautiful recognition of their history because there are trials and tribulations along the way and that’s just heartbreaking. There is nothing worse, I think, than someone taking the good for granted. There is nothing more mournful than negating and risking all of the beautiful things that comprise a marriage, a family and a history.
But MY history…it’s a compilation of the good and bad, the beautiful and ugly, the joyful and sad. I’ve spent a lot of time mulling it over in my mind and trying to savor the recollections of it all and wondering why so many people discard their foundational truths. Basically, why they choose to forget who they are and how they fit in to their own lives.
So I’m wondering aloud today. I’m letting this marinate in my mind and urging anyone else who reads this to take notice of the amazing wonder of your life and history. Take notice before you forget to appreciate its exquisiteness.