So here it is.  The short version of the long story. (ha!)

Keith and I met in high school, way back in 1996. Yep, high school sweethearts (that was the cool thing to do, ya know?).  We have history. A heaping load of history. Some silly, some sweet, some ugly and some sad. I mean, there’s a story there. We all have a story.

Ours started out sweet. First date to the arcade with his friends (we were so cool in that back seat). Then, BIG DEAL: Homecoming dance. You all know what I mean; the perfect dress (and mine was perfect), the perfect hair (nailed it), a fly suit (he was handsome), the pictures, the food before, the friends, the laughs….it was all super swell.  I remember the smell of his cologne.  From then on, we were ‘us‘.  We needed no reason to be us, we just were, and we moved forward without caution.

Several dating years sped by as I began college and then he too, soon followed (I’m a year older, he and I don’t talk about it…wink wink). Finally, on June 9, 2001 we were married, and another journey together began. If you are married, and have been for a while, then you know the journey I speak of.

We have built a life in those 16 passing years. Complete with three healthy boys (14, 11, 6) and two healthy dogs (Connelly and Chewy; both boys I might add). We have a small home which is a blessing, as a small home means a small mortgage payment. Shew. We had this 5 year plan, but then the housing market busted and my husband lost his job and all that bummer stuff about being stuck in the small house turned into a big blessing. It’s got something to do with how look at the situation I’m pretty sure (adding a little sugar to this life). Anyways, I digress.

Fast forward.

Today my husband is very sick. He has PPMS (Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis). We didn’t want this life. It’s sad, and hard.  I mean, geeze, who wants hard? I wanted butterflies and rainbows. Ice creams cones and hot chocolate.  I did not want hard…or sad…or frustrating…or….(there are a slew of adjectives  I could put in here, but I’m betting I don’t have to, because you know already).  We have a hard life.  I sometimes refer to it as a “Debbie Downer” life.

Ok, so lets finish this post up real quick.  When I boil it all down to its core, I come up with the same thing. Life is life for everyone.  It doesn’t play favorites. There is someone sitting somewhere upset about something. And maybe it looks small to you or to me, but a struggle is a struggle. I often think of a quote by Regina Brett. She said “If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.”  I feel like that’s a pretty true statement, and I don’t like our problem.  Just saying.

 

“…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9