Tomorrow is my wife’s 49th birthday. In fact this has been designated her birthday week. She learned that little tidbit from my sisters, who for many years now have celebrated the passage of a year by having a seven-day party. While my wife is not as boisterous as my female siblings, I’ve learned that it’s still best to do what she says. If she’s not happy, I’m not sleeping, so I make sure she’s happy.
This seems to be a huge milestone for my wife. For some reason she thinks she’s getting old. If that’s the case then someone please tell me why she’s running a marathon in Las Vegas this March? I’m pretty sure if you’re over the hill you don’t decide to up and do a marathon for fun. She’s in pretty good shape. I know…I’ve looked!
As many of my reader (yes…I’m sure there’s only one of you) know, my wife and I graduated from high school the same year: She at the top of the class, and me from the basement. She’s the mother of three, the grandmother of five, and an accomplished attorney. We didn’t marry until 29 years later, but that’s only because she didn’t know me. Still, I remembered her even if she didn’t remember me before we met again two years ago. I actually pulled out the yearbook to find her picture and I think she still looks just as beautiful as she did then. There is no way in hell she’s getting old.
I really wouldn’t have a problem with the marathon training, except as the head cheerleader for my wife, I’m the one who gets to run with her. In the last four days we’ve run over 35 miles. That’s one day at 5, one day at 10, and two days ago we ran 20. That’s right…20 miles! Old people don’t run 20 miles. Certainly a woman with three kids and five grandkids shouldn’t be doing this. Why should I? Oh yea…I like sleep.
I read once that women think they’re old at 30, and men at 50. I think that’s just crazy. Most women don’t even come into their own until 40, so how can 30 be old? Either way, she is not old. I know…I’m the one trying to keep up with her. I’m a year shy of 50, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t worked out this hard ever in my life!
In addition to all the excess exercise my wife has also decided that she wants tattoos. Seriously! She doesn’t want something girly, or a tramp stamp, or anything like that. She wants a tattoo on her left wrist that says “One More Rep.” On her right wrist she wants one that says “One More Mile.” It’s her way of keeping motivated. I told her to go ahead, but I’m getting tattoos too. On my left wrist I will have “One More Mile.” But on my right it will be “One More Donut.” Now THAT’s motivation!
With that I will say this: Honey, you are my strength, my motivation, and my inspiration. All things good in my life come through you. May our love for each other flourish and rain down upon all we know. The longer we are together, the stronger the connection I feel to you, and to ours. Therefore I now have one request of you: Can we have ice cream for dinner?
Happy Birthday honey.
I love you!
Rex