19

Today is August 19. Nineteen years ago today I was getting ready for my wedding rehearsal and the dinner to follow and finishing last minute things for my wedding on the 20th. I was 17 years old. Now today, nineteen years later, I am watching my son (who is 17) cook a Vietnamese dish in my kitchen with his friend, Thuy (pronounced -"Twee"). My how time flies!!!

I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, and there are a lot of things I wish I could go back and fix. I have my regrets, and I'm sure there are things I really should have done better. BUT marrying Rob Thomas was the best thing (after giving my heart to God) I ever did!

There were family members that were not really thrilled about our wedding; one of my future in-laws who said they spoke for Rob's whole family tried on the night of the rehearsal to get me to "not show up." They said they would understand, and Rob would too-down the road- if I just stayed home, and that it would really be the best thing and the kindest thing for Rob if I didn't marry him. That he would be "better off" without me in his life. There were many who thought we were too young. There were some (maybe many) who thought I was pregnant, but I wasn't!

Well, all I can say, is that we've been married for 19 years now. Longer than many people stay married, and if we've made it, with God's help, through all we have- lay-offs, no food in the house, living with family to avoid homelessness, college & 3 babies, 3 in diapers, sick kids, unplanned pregancies, and complicated pregnancies, unsupportive "watchers," financial problems one after another, moving upteen times....- than we, with God's help, will be married until death do us part.

What have we gained? Being each other's lifelong best friend & #1 supporter, a great marriage, three wonderful young people as our own children who are serving God and going to be great adults, spouses, and parents and make a difference in the world for Him, & more love than we had when we said "I do."

So, on this 19th of August- the eve of my 19th anniversary, I say:

Thank you God for my life mate & my first love who has been my husband.
Thank you God for helping us to stick with a marriage that was rough and hard & helping bring back the love when it looked like it had left us .
Thank you God for helping us to make it through those years and to love each other so much more completely now & for the wonderful children you blessed us with.

And Thank you Momma for allowing me to go at such a young age and making what had to be a most hard decision and doing what had to be a scary & difficult thing to do- signing that paper to let me marry at 17! Your decision was the right one, and I will be eternally grateful to you for allowing me to go!

And thank you, Rob, for asking me to marry you, for marrying me, for staying with me through it all and loving me so very much! You are and always will be the love of my life!