Hello readers! Are you excited yet? This is the debut of our Monday feature- blabbing about marriage. Having been married less than 2 years, we are FAR from being experts on the subject of marriage. However, I do believe that we have a very strong and blessed marriage, considering we have already gone through some very tough times, including a stroke, a miscarriage, and an unexpected $5,000 tax bill. So, we want to document for each other, and for others some of the things that we love and value in our marriage – through good, bad, ugly, and indifferent.
Today, I’ve picked the topic – because we were unsure of where to start. But, this morning, I sat in the office of my husband’s neurologist and I realized where I wanted to start. Gratitude. Because a little over 6 months ago, I was following an ambulance to the hospital after Casey had collapsed having suffered what we now know was a stroke. In those moments in my car, I was absolutely terrified. No less than 30 minutes before we had dinner with Stacey, and then had changed into our workout gear to get our daily work out in. Nothing unusual. Everything can change in an instant.
This is not to say that I wasn’t grateful before Casey had his stroke. Not a day goes by (sappy as it may be), that I don’t thank my lucky stars that I get to spend the rest of my life with a man who cares about me, cherishes me, makes me laugh, and that I can be my whole self with. But moments like these, when everything is taken out from underneath you – reaffirm that life is so brief, and each moment matters.
Since that evening, I have done my very best – as I always did – to let Casey know how much he means to me. That hasn’t changed. But the little reminders….when he has to take his medication (he never took medication before), or these follow up visits…they bring the memories crashing back to me, tears into my eyes, and a wave of gratitude into my heart. It could have been so much worse, and from every experience we must take what we can from it and move on. So we do. Casey can walk (mostly) okay now, without a cane. His slur only comes now when he’s tired. His face droops mostly only at night. He continues to improve his hand grasp.
He’s different now. We both are. But as a couple, we’re stronger. And for that, I have immense gratitude.
