Maybe this Valentine’s Day you should consider rewriting your vows?
I love weddings, and one of the best I have attended was last year. It was an adults only wedding so it was going to be a true date versus an event where we would have to juggle children high on cake in an unfamiliar setting. That wedding turned out to be everything and more – a fabulous date night, a chance to reconnect with family and friends, an amazing meal, and nonstop smiles and laughter; especially when my husband spun his grandma around the dance floor.
It was the vows though, not necessarily the reception, that hit me the most. They always do. Wedding vows are beyond beautiful. So poetic. Heartfelt. You can sense the trepidation (what exactly does “in sickness and in health” mean?”) and anticipation of new love.
With fourteen years and four kids under our belt, my husband and I have seen the ups and downs of life together. The wedding vows we rehearsed and promised over a decade ago now mean so much more, and, well, given the chance to say them again, I might add a little twist and
To Have and to Hold
We’re talking about intimacy here and ya’ll, I’m here for it. Assuming you brush your teeth and take necessary steps to not snore all night long. And don’t get all hyped up on specific lingerie requests, please. Can we all just appreciate super soft, regular people pajamas?
For Better, for Worse
This means pay raises and job losses, the birth of children and miscarriage, the death of parents, depression and anxiety, buying houses that turn into homes, starting businesses that thrive … and others that don’t make it. Marriage will be an ebb and flow, and together we will float, paddle, and capsize through it all. Thank goodness for life vests, in truth, thank you for being my life vest.
For Richer, for Poorer
For richer might not come. That’s the reality. This might be better vowed, “For budgeting and scrimping, for splurging, and picking up the pieces”. Of course, we might win the lottery, but then again, let’s be real, we shouldn’t really spend money on lottery tickets.
In Sickness and in Health
From man colds to postpartum depression, marriage will see it all. Sometimes less, like the seasonal allergies that turn me into a real grump. Sometimes more. Sometimes things that require surgery; that are full of unknowns and countless worries and medical bills that make our heads spin. Hopefully good days too – the kind where I cheer you across a finish line and watch you crest a mountain. The days where you buy me a juicer and try all my healthy recipes. Cheers, my love, to all the coughs and cures, but please, remember to call your mom when that man cold settles in, ok?
To Love and to Cherish
I always thought this was the sweetest – to love and cherish felt so Prince Charming-esque. Now I know it is much more about the little things, the less grand, the not on social media things. You love when you keep my gas tank full. You cherish by remembering that I like light mustard on my sandwiches. Prince Charming might throw balls and give lavish gifts, but honey, you know me best, and I’ll forever pick up your socks to show my gratitude.
Til Death do us Part
Last but not least, the idea of forever. ‘Til the good Lord takes one of us home. Maybe next year, maybe in ten, maybe we will celebrate our 50th … or 60th anniversary someday and speak all the vows we lived out for decades complete with a reenactment of our best arguments. Babe, I think we have some Academy Award material all ready, so here’s to many more years of livin’ out some good material. The good, the bad, the everything in between – I’ll be your ride or die if you’ll be mine, ok?
