The theme of my last few posts has been Keith and I's 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow. So far I've documented the phenomena that occurred when the life of a shy young responsible man from rural Northwest Iowa intersected the life of a friendly irresponsible young girl from Northern California. This post shares an imaginary conversation that may or not have taken place way back then.
"Would you please marry me and live five miles north of a small town in Northwest Iowa, on eight acres, in a 100-year-old farmhouse with seven children, seven cats, and two dogs?"
If Keith had asked me this question twenty six years ago, would I have said yes?
Would I have knowingly embraced a life of messy cars, muddy shoes, mountains of laundry, bushels of socks, noise, chaos, laughter, tears, painful lessons, joy, and love? If we had the ability to see into the future would we choose our present lives?
I'm guessing not having even one child, and being deeply in love, I would have naively responded, "Oh sure, seven children’s no problem. We could have more if you'd like."
Keith continues, "I should probably tell you people will forever be making jokes and remarks about the size of our family. We will have more children than most people we know. We will win the prize at our High School reunions for having the most children. We will receive unsolicited, sometimes rude, advice on family planning. People we hardly know will constantly ask, "Are you going to have more?"
We will not have nice things. We will live in old houses, drive old cars, shop at garage sales, buy in bulk, and cook from scratch. We will change over 10,000 diapers before all is said and done. We will never have an empty nest. We will be staring at 60 when our youngest child graduates from high school. We will have toddlers while our friends have grandchildren. Our life will never be normal".
And I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world. "Why yes," I'd have said. "I thought you'd never ask."
"Would you please marry me and live five miles north of a small town in Northwest Iowa, on eight acres, in a 100-year-old farmhouse with seven children, seven cats, and two dogs?"
If Keith had asked me this question twenty six years ago, would I have said yes?
Would I have knowingly embraced a life of messy cars, muddy shoes, mountains of laundry, bushels of socks, noise, chaos, laughter, tears, painful lessons, joy, and love? If we had the ability to see into the future would we choose our present lives?
I'm guessing not having even one child, and being deeply in love, I would have naively responded, "Oh sure, seven children’s no problem. We could have more if you'd like."
Keith continues, "I should probably tell you people will forever be making jokes and remarks about the size of our family. We will have more children than most people we know. We will win the prize at our High School reunions for having the most children. We will receive unsolicited, sometimes rude, advice on family planning. People we hardly know will constantly ask, "Are you going to have more?"
We will not have nice things. We will live in old houses, drive old cars, shop at garage sales, buy in bulk, and cook from scratch. We will change over 10,000 diapers before all is said and done. We will never have an empty nest. We will be staring at 60 when our youngest child graduates from high school. We will have toddlers while our friends have grandchildren. Our life will never be normal".
And I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world. "Why yes," I'd have said. "I thought you'd never ask."
Love it!!! What a proposal that would have been! :)
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