THE ONE TIME

God speaks to me all the time.  In the certainty of a decision.  In what some people call coincidences.  In the glory of a garden.  But one time God spoke to me in a voice.  A very loud and authoritative voice.  When I was fourteen, blissfully going about life, just beginning my freshman year of high school.  I remember it as if it just happened  minutes ago.  I was putting my books in my locker, when I heard a very real and very loud voice say "This is your husband".  At the same moment my friend Kurt Centella was speaking to me, trying to introduce me to his friend Randy.  I turned around and stared into the bluest eyes and I knew.  I often wonder why our marriage was so important to God that he personally introduced us.  What did he have in store for us?  I do know that together that we've reared wonderful, successful, hard-working, and more importantly kind and generous children.  We've made a pretty good stab at this thing called life.  And we certainly have enjoyed the struggles along the way.

I know no one wants to hear it, so I'll just say that neither one of us had a happy childhood. So when we left  home to marry, we knew that there would be no running home to mama if things didn't work out, which was actually a blessing in disguise.  We took the part of the vows about cleaving to each other very seriously.  We were united in adversity as many so-called friends discouraged us by arguing that we were too young (19 and 21), needed to get out and explore the world more, needed more experience in life, etc. I often ponder if those people have made happier marriages than we have, it's doubtful..  As for the exploring the world, it was much better to do it together.  At the end of the day, the best place in the world has been our own dear little home, and no five star restaurant could serve a tastier dish than strawberries and peas plucked from the vine and eaten right there in the garden.

So today, after thirty-three years together, we still laugh, dream and scheme together.  We still cleave to each other in hardships.  And he still sees me as that young girl not the fifty-two year old woman that I am!   With love and fidelity to my dear Ran, the most exasperating and wonderful person on Earth!

The picture is of our front garden.  Ran loves hostas and this one is huge.  I get a lot of hosta envy from fellow gardeners  over this one!