Love (and the Royal Wedding)

I could choose to be cynical. It's not hard - I usually am. I could be really critical and slightly bitter. I could be righteous and judgmental. I could scoff and roll my eyes. But I have a choice. And I choose love.

This week something happened in Britain. (I like saying Britain instead of England because I think it sounds better and more pretentious, and I like pretension sometimes.) I don't know the whole story. I only know what I have read. And I take everything the media says with a grain of salt because I don't actually know these people - though I'd like to - and I don't know if what is reported is actual truth. But I'd like to believe it is.

This weekend, two people got married on TV. Two people who seemed very much in love, and very much aware of what they were getting themselves into. Over two billion people tuned in to watch in person, on television, and online. I was one of these people. I was glued to the TV for hours, watching two people I have never met and will most likely never meet recite vows, pledge their love to one another, kiss, and wave... A lot.

I did this because I believe in love. I believe that we as humans are capable of greatness. I believe that we are created to change lives and to change each another. And, mostly, I believe we are created to love each another.

I think this wedding is a great love story. I don't know them, but I wish them well. I wish that they will experience joy and growth and love and happiness and the simple and ordinary things that can only come after you commit to share your life with someone else. It's a real love story. Yes, one of them is a prince, and the other is the woman who fell for him and who he fell for in return, so the ordinary part might feel different than most. And yes their wedding was lavish and extravagant and humongous. But it makes me happy. And in this bitter world full of cynicism, criticism, bitterness, and devastation, I think we are all entitled to a day like this.

Cheers to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! I wish you every happiness. And thanks for the chance to look back on my own wedding and marriage and feel truly blessed. I can only hope that you will be as happy as I am.

If you have not heard...

If you have not heard... Chris got a job!!! Hooray! He is now a NCAA Div 1 head tennis coach!

If you have not heard... It's in Texas. University of Texas Pan American, to be exact. The UT university system is exactly like the UC system here - schools spread out over the state, some bigger than others, some better than others. Pan American is one of the little ones.

If you have not heard... Chris loaded up his truck and left this morning. He should be in Texas tomorrow night.

If you have not heard... I will be joining Chris in Texas in December, after the semester ends at Vanguard. We will be apart for 5 weeks and 4 days, until he comes back for Thanksgiving. After that, it will be a little over 2 weeks until I join him in Texas permanently.

If you have not heard... I am a slow processor. Don't ask me how I am feeling about him being gone. I don't really know yet. Ask me in a week.

If you have not heard... It is an exciting, sad, adventuresome, heartbreaking, blessing, and disappointing thing all at once. I rarely feel these emotions seperately. Most of the time, I feel all of these all at once... Example: In my head, I know that moving to Texas is a very good and practical move; in my heart, I am devastated that I have to leave my family and friends. In my heart, I also feel love and support and excitement for my husband's job and fulfillment, and it fulfills me to support him; in my head, I worry about what job I will get and if I will be as good at it or enjoy it as much as the one I currently have.

If you have not heard... Well, now you have.

Left Wanting

There is something Chris and I want so bad. It would be a wonderful, amazing adventure. I think it would make us really happy. Though it has not been deemed official as of yet, we are incredibly excited about this. But it is also something that would be extremely painful and difficult for me. It is something that excites me yet scares me a little. We want this, we really want this, yet we sort of don't want it... However, we cannot imagine going on much longer without it. We do not want to be left wanting and we are so scared it's not going to happen.

Lord, your grace falls over us. It washes us clean, it blesses us. Lord, we pray that we get this, we pray that You bless us with this thing. We trust you, we believe in your goodness and your divine will. Bless us O Lord.

Amen.


P.S. It's not a baby... Though, now that I am reading over it, it could really really be interpreted that way...Especially with the picture of the praying kid and all -- I just thought it was cute... But I promise that's not it.

NAIA Tennis National Championships

All...week...long...

We get to go home today.

Will be very happy if I don't watch anymore tennis for a long time. My marriage will be very happy too.

Already sort of dreading next Spring...

Joyful, Joyful

He's home!