Marriage Mondays~ Ice Skating

Ice skating has a way of making grown men, who spend their days in a 5x5 cubicle, throw their head back, sway their hips, narrow their eyes, and shake their hair as they mouth the words to "Wild Thing ..." Middleschoolers can be seen singing "We all live in a yellow submarine" (thinking it's a marine tune) in a moment of unembarrassed bliss, only aware of reality because of their burning cold toes. Middle aged moms watch tiny spinning girls and sigh, thinking back to Dorothy Hamill days and "if only..." I saw parents with kids, sisters, friends, and couples skating together in what looked like moments they would remember.

I watched a couple yesterday at the arena on Market Square in Knoxville. He was in a puffy olive green coat and ear muffs. She was in a cute tan car coat with a hat and red gloves; she reminded me of Natalia Wood as Maria in West Side Story. She couldn't skate and clung to the wall in the 2 times she ventured around the ring. He was patient and sweet, pretending not to notice the backlog of fledgling skaters behind them. I wanted to whisper ... ok, scream, "Put your arm around her, man! Let her hold onto you, and she'll be swept away in the romance just in time to join in for the second verse of Taylor Swift's 'You Belong to Me.'" But in a desire not to emotionally scar my teenager, I refrained. I thought back to before Jeff and I were dating ... going from insecure "clinging Maria" to oneness with a man is a miraculous thing.

I think Ecclesiastes 4:10 is perfect here: "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" Ice skating. Marriage.

This summer Jeff and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage. Count 'em ... that's more than all of elementary/high school/college/grad school combined! That's two decades. Five presidencies. From birth certificate to resume. The length of some loans. Sadly, it is becoming more and more of a rare thing for couples to reach this marker. More people do not ever marry or are divorced than stay married for life. Bottom line: I'm becoming a freak, and I'm not even trying. Who knew?

Marriage is miraculous, designed by the Maker of miracles. As we build up to our anniversary in June, I'll take each Monday to reflect on something true, miraculous, or beautiful about marriage. For today, I'll just say something magical can happen when skating with a partner, and I do wish olive coat man and Maria would grab onto each other and embrace the magic. Now don't get me wrong ... marriage isn't always smooth gliding, but I think it's well worth it. The truth is that it's not natural for people to glide on ice; it can be down right dangerous! It can be awful with the wrong partner. To have someone you feel safe to hold on to, wind in your hair, music in your hearts, joy in your soul, gliding together ... that's what marriage is like, and that is miraculous.

I'll hope you'll look forward to "Marriage Mondays" with me and will share your own reflections of this miraculous thing called marriage.