Twenty years later

Picture if you will a cool October evening. Two love struck teenagers have just arrived at an acreage home where the boyfriend's parents live. Excitedly, they break the news: they are engaged to be married! It's a profound moment for this young couple that must be shared with their loved ones. But like a scene from a sit-com the mother, sitting at the kitchen table, stares at her son and his girlfriend (now fiancée) with a stunned look on her face. Finally, she speaks:

"Why?" she asks.

"How are you going to pay for it?"

And then she congratulates them and puts on the tea.

Later on the boy decides to phone his older brothers to break the news. The eldest says, in disbelief, "You're getting married... incredible..." His wife immediately voices her reservations, questioning the wisdom of this decision. The next phone call to brother #2 doesn't go much better. To the sound of laughter the boy hears his brother exclaim, "You're getting what?" and then begins a speech on the seriousness of such a life altering step. And yet the young couple is adamant that they will wed. In spite of the fact that two days after the engagement the boyfriend lost his job, in spite of the reservations others had, the disagreements with family over the wedding plans and a myriad of other challenges the day finally arrived. The boy's pretty (jaw dropping actually) bride walked down the isle and said, "I do." It was a surreal moment for them both, standing there in front of the church, but it was their day nonetheless. No doubts ever crossed their minds about what they were doing.

At least up until that day.

The next morning the newly wed groom awakens next to his bride and thinks to himself, "What have I gotten myself into?" He still remembers his mother-in-law's words from the night before when he voiced a similar thought. "You have 24 hours to get an annulment," she said. Not exactly inspiring words coming from a newly minted member of the family. Perhaps it was an omen, along with little things like how the videographer's car broke down on the way to the wedding, the soloist simply not showing up for the ceremony or the fact that no one knew where the key to the church's soundroom was so the lights could be turned up. Sitting on his bride's glasses during the honeymoon didn't help either. Not that it mattered; the weather was lousy and the mountain view was obscured. But it was the beginning of a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs that has now spanned two decades.

Yes it's hard to believe that today, 20 years ago, Angel & I married. There's a feeling of accomplishment that, in spite of our doubts, the doubts of others, the hardships we endured (some self inflicted and others by happenstance) we have built a life together. The fact that we have added Jess to our lives also adds a new dimension to our relationship. Yes, twenty years ago we didn't know exactly what we were getting into. But twenty years later we have managed to keep afloat and stay together. For that I am grateful to Angel for not trying to kill me in all that time.

Although there have been several inexplicable near misses over the years...

Naw...

Happy Anniversary Angel. I love you so much. Thanks for putting up with me for all these years. I'll see you in another twenty.

Provided I survive any more mysterious accidents.