It’s here! Our 20th wedding anniversary. Amazing if you ask me and I’m proud of us. Its been a ton of trust, love and a lot of prayer. I give half the credit to my wonderful husband, Tommy.. He’s taught me so much over the years. And as a result I like to think I’m a better person because of him. My husband is a very warm, thoughtful, giving, smart and handsome man. We were fortunate to have met when we were very young. We met for the first time at age 15. We became friends at first and then did the whole “…but I don’t want to mess everything up if we get together…” dance. Turned out we didn’t mess everything up. We started dating around age 17 and had many a teen angst argument/breakup/get back together scene through the years. But somehow we always found ourselves back together. I do believe he is my soul mate. He’s called me his best friend many times over the years and every time he says it, it’s like hearing him say it for the first time. I consider myself lucky to be called his best friend.
There were many difficult times over the past 20 years especially when it came to raising Thomas. Being Thomas’ mother made me grow in a way I never thought I was capable of growing. But God had his plans and as the vine dresser He shaped me and encouraged growth for me to become a tenacious mother. Tommy allowed my role to flourish by trusting me in locating doctors, therapists, psychologists, neurologists, support people and anyone else I recruited to help us help our son. It was not an easy time. We made decisions no parent should have to make for their child. Medications, hospitalizations, dealing with disbelieving professionals, residential school. Not an easy road and I know there are parents out there who have had an even more difficult time than us.
I love to remember our honeymoon and us laying on the beach trying to imagine what we would be like at our 10th anniversary. 10 years seemed so far away. We knew I was pregnant so trying to picture us with a 10 year old was next to impossible. We then told each other how great it would be to return to Hawaii on our 20th anniversary. Again, something that was so difficult to imagine. If you had told me then what my life would be like I’d think you were crazed. I was going to have a perfectly healthy and typical baby and our life was going to go as planned as anyone else’s.
Even with all the ups and downs and sideways turns I couldn’t imagine the past 20 years with anyone else besides my husband. He’s been there for me through very thick and very thin. Through the house moves and hair color changes. He is my lifeline and I look forward to the next 20 years with him with as much optimism as I had 20 years ago.
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 