Last night I came home from drinks with neighbors to find my husband asleep in our bed, with my bedside table light left on for me, the baby monitor blasting loudly next to him (he is hearing impaired) and a card on my pillow inscribed, "Wifey." (Ramon always gives me cards the night before the actual celebrated event - he just can't wait.) In the 2 bedrooms nearby, our boys slept peacefully. I wanted to take a picture to capture the moment, it was so blissful - but a photo wouldn't have done justice.
When I married my husband nine years ago, I was scared. I had never been all that keen on marriage. It just didn't seem to work out. My parents divorced when I was very young, and my father divorced for a second time when I was in law school, so I certainly didn't have a lot to go on in the way of positive experience or roll models. I never dreamed of a wedding, of being a bride and walking down the aisle.... it just wasn't something I aspired to.
But ever since I first met Ramon, when we were 15 year-old-high school sophmores, he has helped me to believe in commitment. Ramon's parents married when they were teens in Cuba and are coming up on their 50th wedding anniversary next year. They are the classic example of old fashioned love and devotion - and survival through extreme hardship. Which is not to say they have the perfect marraige, by any means - one thing we have always commented on is how different they both are - they really have very little in common, save for family and love for each other, and shared life experience. But it turns out, that is a lot. They grew up together, raised a family together, left Cuba together, built a life in the United States together. And as for Ramon, he has the utmost faith in marriage and commitment, because of them.
Ramon helped me to believe - over the years. I was skeptical for a long time. I would tend to run when things got bad. He always held a steady course. He waited for me to commit. It took a long time. We've now known each other for 20 years, and been married for nine. My mom remembers in high school I would fall asleep with the phone on my ear, talking to Ramon in bed. Last night I came home to see him sleeping next to the baby monitor. I can't believe how far we've come.
When I married my husband nine years ago, I was scared. I had never been all that keen on marriage. It just didn't seem to work out. My parents divorced when I was very young, and my father divorced for a second time when I was in law school, so I certainly didn't have a lot to go on in the way of positive experience or roll models. I never dreamed of a wedding, of being a bride and walking down the aisle.... it just wasn't something I aspired to.
But ever since I first met Ramon, when we were 15 year-old-high school sophmores, he has helped me to believe in commitment. Ramon's parents married when they were teens in Cuba and are coming up on their 50th wedding anniversary next year. They are the classic example of old fashioned love and devotion - and survival through extreme hardship. Which is not to say they have the perfect marraige, by any means - one thing we have always commented on is how different they both are - they really have very little in common, save for family and love for each other, and shared life experience. But it turns out, that is a lot. They grew up together, raised a family together, left Cuba together, built a life in the United States together. And as for Ramon, he has the utmost faith in marriage and commitment, because of them.
Ramon helped me to believe - over the years. I was skeptical for a long time. I would tend to run when things got bad. He always held a steady course. He waited for me to commit. It took a long time. We've now known each other for 20 years, and been married for nine. My mom remembers in high school I would fall asleep with the phone on my ear, talking to Ramon in bed. Last night I came home to see him sleeping next to the baby monitor. I can't believe how far we've come.
