Not for nothin’, but when I was 13 years old I had teachers telling me I should just hang it up. I wasn’t going to amount anything anyway. I’m happy to say that people like Mr. Day were wrong, so when I look back on my life I’m happy that I’m employed, financially secure, and personally very happy. I think I have accomplished a lot in my years on this planet. But when I start getting cocky and think I’ve conquered the world, all I have to do is look over at my wife, the queen of accomplishment, to pull myself back into reality.
We have been married for over five years now. In fact, it was six years ago this month that we first met in Moab, Utah for our first date. I will be forever grateful for that day. It has started a journey for me personally I never thought I’d have. I adore my her. She’s my hero and always will be. When I think of all the things I’ve done in my life they pale in comparison to her. She’s a mother of three, and grandmother of five, who put herself through law school while raising a family of boys. I mean…kill me now! To add insult to injury she opened her own law firm last year and the success even surpassed her own expectations. She now has a nice office in downtown Colorado Springs, three employees, and is considering bringing on another attorney as well as opening a second office in Nevada. That’s in ONE year! She’s done in 12 months what it usually takes people five years to accomplish. So…it’s pretty humbling when I go to work to manage the projects of a bunch of tech geeks to know that Kim is blazing a trail that few men, let alone women have done.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Four years ago, she decided that she would run five marathons before she turned 50. This was at a time when she had never run more than say five miles in her life. But there we were, a year later, a couple of weeks before her 50thbirthday running up and back to the Hoover Dam to finish her fifth marathon that year. I’d say that’s a lot of work just to earn a glass of chocolate milk at the end of the day. But no one has ever accused my wife of under doing it.
I’m not saying that living with a type A++ personality is a total picnic. God forbid you forget to take your shoes off after she’s cleaned the floors. Not only that making trips to the Walmart, or the Mall can be a test in patience. I can shop at a store and in under 15 minutes I get everything I knew I needed before I walked in and that’s it (Home Depot and Lowes not withstanding). But you go shopping with my wife and 16 and a half hours later you’ve left with everything on her list, plus a new dress, shoes, a sweater or two, presents for all the grandkids and a new Cadillac.
Also, never contradict her. She will outright tell you there’s a wrong way to do things, and there’s her way. That’s pretty much it. It can be quite the challenge to find out that after 47 years you were doing everything the wrong way. She’s patient with me though…well…for the most part, so I’m thinking by the time I get to be say 97, I might have life all down pat.
What I can say about this is if you know me personally, or work with me, you know that I adore my wife. It comes out in everything I say and do and I am constantly trying to make her proud to be married to me. There hasn’t been one time that I’ve regretted marrying her. I’ve regretted contradicting her. I’ve regretted arguing with her. But I have never regretted being married to her.
So what brings all this on? Today she is 53, and planning to run another set of marathons this year. In fact she’s at the gym now weight training. And today I wish her the best of days for now and always. I love her dearly and will be forever dedicated to her for the rest of my life.
Love you baby!
Rex