I Married Superwoman

     14 years ago today, I waited with great anticipation to see my fiance' in her wedding dress walking down the aisle towards me. Part of the anticipation came from the fact that I was going to sing to her a song I wrote in the middle of the night a few months earlier for our wedding day. I had two prayers for that April 19th, that it wouldn't rain, and that I wouldn't cry when I sang to Marty. God acknowledged one of my prayers: It didn't rain. I choked, snotted and heaved through most of the song. I could hear the thoughts of the entire congregation as I bawled my way through the first verse: "Bless his heart." I cried the hardest at lines that meant the most to me. When I sang the lyrics "Can you believe here we are?" my voice went up five octaves to a pitch I've never hit before or since. Musically, it was abominable, but I couldn't believe there we finally were, at the wedding altar, pledging to spend our lives together forever. Plus, look at this beautiful woman standing before me! How did I land her??
     The second verse was about the future. "Like a shepherd, He'll lead us through whatever comes our way, just as His loving hand has led us here to this day." In 14 years, there has been a lot of "whatever." And I've found my wife to be the best partner in life I could have ever asked for. She is strong, stronger than she gives herself credit for. The fact that she pushed three human beings out of her body would be enough to prove that she is Superwoman, but she's endured so much more, like kidney stones and brain surgery, me...
     I never felt more married than when she was recovering in the hospital after a tumor was removed from inside her head. She was hurting so badly from the surgery and there was nothing I could do to take that pain away, but I knew I wasn't going anywhere, for life. She couldn't handle visitors, but she mustered up every ounce of strength she had to talk to our kids on the phone that were separated from us by hundreds of miles. Her voice was so weak, but the sound of love for our kids was so strong, and I was proud of her. I admired her as I watched her in that hospital room. Here she was facing the biggest trial in her entire life, and I had the privilege of being by her side. I felt honored to be married to this incredible woman.
     There were many obstacles for her to face once we returned home, deafness in one ear, dizziness and balance issues, paralysis in her face, ongoing pain from the incision in her head ("incision"... that's putting it lightly), and all with three little kids under her feet still needing her to be mommy. But she faced the challenges and continued to live life. And she continues to live life to the fullest, and I get to be her husband.
     Standing at that altar 14 years ago, I never could have imagined all that we would endure, but looking back, I can say the words I sang to her have been true. God led us through everything we have faced, and I can say now more than I did then, that it is truly "'til death do us part." I love my bride. Happy Anniversary, Beautiful Marty.