Gratitude Day #30
Today I am grateful for Mr. Kerry.
For the past eight or so years, I have always begun the month with my mom, for it is her birthday. And, I end the month with Kerry, for tomorrow is our anniversary. And yet, I often will receive a PM asking me why I haven't expressed gratitude for Mr. Kerry.
This is why.
Kerry is a good man. When we began dating, I wasn't exactly thrilled with him. He greased his hair down like Bowser (Sha-na-na), and seemed stuck in the 1970s. Well, it was the 1970s.
But, my parents adored him!
After his proposal, I hemmed and hawed for a week when my dad asked me if I was planning on giving this poor boy an answer soon. I waffled, for I didn't know. I mean, he was a nice guy, but that *spark* wasn't there. Dad looked at me and said, "You had better do some deep thinking about this, Peggy. How many people would be willing to live with you?"
Truer words were never spoken.
Kerry's pros far outweighed his cons, and after deep prayer, I decided to say yes. I told him after working at the Washington Temple one day, and he nearly drove off the edge of the road.
If I had not married him, it would have been the single biggest mistake of my life. And, I know that.
He married me when I was heavy, and continued to love me as I nearly doubled in size, never once saying that it might be better "if I just lost a little weight".
He sat by me and wiped my brow through every labor and delivery, and cried at the four miscarriages that we both suffered through.
He was by my head when I woke up from surgery, softly telling me they had found cancer. He held my hand when the doctor came in to tell us more details.
We held each other tightly when we buried my mom in 1984, then again when we buried his sister in 2000, my dad in 2002, his mother in 2003, and his father in 2004. We held each other like the world was coming to an end when we lost our son in 2009. It had come to an end...at least, the world we knew.
He supported his family working as a letter carrier for thirty years, showing his children by example that they would always have a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat.
Just like his father, he is a scriptorian. He has never once preached that we should all follow his example of prayer and scripture study. He has quietly found a nook to study and ponder. Throughout these 42 years, I have often walked by his office as he is deep in study, or have caught him kneeling and praying. I wish that his children could hear those prayers as he names each one, petitioning God to watch out for them and keep them safe.
Kerry is the best man I have ever known. He married a very unsure girl, seeing potential in me that I couldn't/didn't see. He has supported me every step of the way, and believed there is nothing I can't do, even though there are things I just cannot do.
As we reflect on our upcoming anniversary tomorrow, we will pause and recall our lives through the past 42 years of our lives. We are good to each other. We are good for each other.
And, I wouldn't be who I am without him.
And so, I end my month of gratitude postings, knowing I could go on posting every day until the end of my life and never come close to running out of things to be thankful for. If I were to die this night, I hope that I would be remembered for having a grateful heart.
May I never lose site of what I have been blessed with...even the air that I breathe.
I thank you for reading my posts; some are personal, some are preachy, some are tiny posts that all show gratitude for each and every part of my life. I thank you for your comments. I thank you for the PMs.
May you all look for ways to be grateful, too.
