Four years ago today, Mike and I grabbed a table at the coffee shop across from my office after work. I remember that it was cold, only because I was wearing my favorite neon green gloves and they pretty much stole the show in the few pictures we had taken of us that night.
A deputy from the county clerk's office arrived with a large envelope, and after a bit of small talk, she administered an official oath to us. As a fellow-deputy myself, this was an oath I had given to people hundreds of times. Sometimes I was annoyed and did it hurriedly, not taking the time to savor the moment for the two sitting in front of me. Other times, I was really into it, and snapped photos of them with their right hands happily raised. My mood usually depended on my hunger level and how annoying my co-workers were being on that particular day. But you guys, the woes of my days as a county employee are not the point of this story.
We decided to take the envelope home, to a more cozy space. After grabbing a bottle of wine from the liquor store nearby, we headed to my tiny little house on Sylvan. The place where he dropped me off after our first date and I thanked him for not being a creep. The place where we had our first kiss. The place where I learned what a good cook he was, and he learned what a good cook I was not.
With two full glasses of wine, we got the marriage license out and proudly signed our names. It wasn't one of those magical moments where confetti burst into the air and we instantly felt changed. But the simplicity of the evening brought peace to me. For all the nights I had fallen asleep with a panicked heart, afraid of being alone forever, this night was washing away that gripping fear of never finding "him".
A big part of our story was written that night and reliving it now almost feels more special than it did then.
This morning, as Mike loaded us up into the car (in his bathrobe, like he always does...hi neighbors!), he said, Ash - you did it! You have completed your first term as my wife. As I laughed, Max laughed right along with me, like he totally got the joke too. And for all the days I peel out of the driveway in a hurry to get to where we need to be, this morning, I took a moment to just love life. Love my toddler's hearty chuckle, love my baby snuggled up so cozy in his carseat, love my husband waving at us from the driveway.
What an incredible joy it is to have these simple moments. I know I'll look back at these simple moments as the most special times in my life.
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