Saturday, March 21, 2009

Growing Old, Or Just Growing

Today's our 11th wedding anniversary. This morning, like that morning, I headed out to play some basketball. Significantly now, as then, I played without injuring myself ("Do you Dena take this crippled, stupid man...").

Of course one change over the years is that "don't get injured" has ascended into the top three priorities for me when I step on the court. The others are "get a good workout" and "stay positive". I like to think the fact that "win" and "score X number of points" have plummeted in importance for me is symbolic of slowly becoming a better husband.

In some ways, especially if you watch me jump, I've grown old. Gray hairs are demanding to be seen after decades of oppression.

What I've enjoyed is the growth in our happiness. We've each learned enough about ourselves through trial and error to put ourselves in situations where we're most naturally likely to succeed. I thrive in highly communicative environments with optimistic, driven, open-minded people. I bore easily unless I have wide creative freedom. LMC has been a powerful energizing influence on me. Dena's doing the graphic design that she loves, and has started to find herself as a runner. In fact we pretty much weigh the same now as on that sunny, snow-melting day when we united.

We get frustrated, and we allow each other to be frustrated without trying to change each other. She shows that she loves me in countless little ways - like hanging a dry towel on the towel rack for me after she showers. I try to make sure we hug several times a day. Today we plan to buy an album to use as a marriage scrapbook, followed by a hearty meal at Alexander's and maybe a movie later on.

No wonder married people live longer!

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