i am so grateful for my beautiful wife, to be able to hold her, and have her as a partner through this life. i feel this way every day, but sometimes it hits me especially hard, almost as a revelation, how blessed i am to have her. sometimes it feels like we are still skipping out of class from high school (which somehow always led to running into my mom, whether at the mall or the pet store--luckily she would always give us money or her credit card and tell us to have a fun time). then i look over my shoulder to realize that we have four kids sitting in the back of our car, which now requires three rows, and that it was 19 years ago that we first saw each other at the age of 14. as cheesy as it sounds, that image is crystallized in my memory. even at that distant moment, it felt like time slowed and then nearly stood still, and i knew that there was something amazing about her; and there was a familiarity, like i had known her from somewhere before. we didn't even speak--it was just a meeting of our eyes, but i have always remembered that moment from a 9th grader's birthday party in somebody's basement.i remember that when i first got know myndie, my face would always hurt after talking with her from smiling and laughing too much. the first time i experienced this good pain was after a botched attempt to serenade her window. despite the fact that this was a scheduled, rather than surprise event, myndie had fallen asleep in the other room. her dad had to wake her up, then i set up for a second time outside her window. after getting half way through two or three songs (i never was good at memorizing the words), i climbed into her window and we talked for hours. fortunately, this facial fatigue was something i experienced regularly throughout high school, and continue to this day. although unfortunately, it is beginning to leave marks. even back then, at the age of 16, we talked about how much fun it would be to be parents together. i remember telling her that she would be the coolest mom. i am so blessed, and amazed, to have been able to witness how true that early assessment was.
i love to see her laugh with our kids, and to see them truly belly laugh with each other. she is a great example and leader, but i think what i love most about her mothering is the individual friendships she has with each of our kids. a good day is when i come home, and the to-do list may be completely undone, because myndie recognized an opportunity to connect with one of our kids, and was willing to drop whatever else would have otherwise been in the way. our kids truly love to be with her, and they know, as well as any child has ever known, that their mother loves them.
last week myndie went with abe on a field trip to phoenix, tolerating a 3 hour school bus ride each way. in the theater, while waiting for the performance to start, the kids were playing the "pass it on" game. one of abe's friends said, "abe's mom is beautiful, pass it on" and sent the message down the row of 2nd graders. i think that is the message i also want to pass along, that she is beautiful, in so many ways, and that she makes life beautiful.
happy mothers' day. i hope you know what an absolute privelege it is to share parenthood and life with you!
