Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I Do (the dishes)

Seven years ago, I wore an ivory dress (it's a red head, fair skin thing) and told my best friend I was legally and emotionally ready to spend the rest of my life (and the next) with him.

Fifteen minutes before the ceremony, I was nervous.  Sweaty palms, should I really be doing this, nervous.  I mean, MARRIAGE!  Come on.  It is serious business, despite the Bravo Channel and Kardashians trying to convince you otherwise. 

I'll never forget that first morning after the vows were said, dances were danced and cake was eaten. I went to check out from our honeymoon suite while Chris brought the car around.  

"Thank you for staying with us Mrs. Gallagher," the woman behind the front desk smiled and handed me a receipt. 

Mrs. Gallagher?  My heart jumped a little.  Both in excitement and panic.  I was no longer a single person.  Both in identity and name.  It was the first time I had been called by this new "Mrs." business.  She called me by a completely different name than the one I had been going by for the last 25 years.  I was no longer on my own.  Sickness.  Health.  Rich.  Poor.  Joy.  Sorrow.  Good.  Bad.  I said "I do" to all of it.  All of it.      

I was still feeling a little anxious as I walked out the front lobby to my waiting "Mr."  He was leaning against my passenger door with a big grin on his face.  

"Ready?" he snuck a quick kiss before he opened my door.

I took a deep breath.  I smiled back at him.  Yes.  I answered.  Yes I am.  




Seven years later, I've realized there is waaaaaay more involved in married life than what those quick exchange of traditional vows take you through.  Sickness?  Sorrow?  Poor?  Sure.  Health?  Good?  Joy?  Absolutely.  But if I were to write our vows over again, I would include things like:

dirty clothes on the floor and in the hamper  
NBA Playoffs and So You Think You Can Dance.
heated arguments and equally heated making up
hot dog dinners and vegetable lasagna  
job changes and a few more job changes
mood swings and thinning hair 
dirty dishes and not having to do dishes for a week
shopping sprees and 'don't use the card until Friday' 
no children and more children than you think you deserve
trips to Hawaii and trips to the gas station (being equally excited about both at different stages in your life)
brief moments of wondering what the #!%* were you thinking when you agreed to get married and enduring years of not even wanting to imagine what you're life would be like without each other.

It's been a really great seven years.

We enjoyed a lovely anniversary together.  Most of it was spent with the 3 (and 3/4) little munchkins we created together.  I try not to over romanticize our life.  It is not perfect.  But how can I be anything but grateful when I have these faces calling me wife and mom?  


{A few snapshots from our day.  At the playground, splash park, and finding bugs in the backyard.  Fun day.}  


  



       


3 comments:

Karen said...

What a lovely way to spend an anniversary! I mean Hawaii would be nice too, but this is second best. Ours was spent road tripping it home from Boise. 7 hrs with two very tired toddlers and a dinner at subway. True love!

michael. mindy. dane. said...

heated make-up? yikes. talk about turn it on and run it hot.

i want to go to that splash park!

Kiley Newbold said...

Congrats on 7 years! I feel honored to have been a part of that day 7 years ago. You guys are awesome.