It was 14 years ago that, with two words, I
did the smartest thing I’ve ever done in my life: I said, “I do” to my wife,
Kathy.
The memories of that mild December day are
fresh: the overcast skies; the beautiful church; my daughter all decked out in
a navy-blue velvet dress; the humorous homily by our minister.
Mostly what I remember, though, is how my
wife took my breath away. I saw her in that gorgeous white gown coming down the
aisle with her dad escorting her. Life’s path to that point for me, a
42-year-old widow with a nine-year old daughter, was a winding one. Everyone’s
path through life meanders, but what counts is how you handle the curves.
When I saw my wife coming toward me at the
altar, I was awestruck by the grace of God. Why in the world was I given a
second chance at happiness? The first one was incredible, but short-lived. My
breath was taken away as I saw Kathy that Dec. 19, but there also was an innate
calmness, a confidence, that we were meant to be together.
Since then, well, let’s just say my wife
still takes my breath away. Even when her professional world is closing in on
her – patients, paperwork, etc. – she still can smile, laugh and make our
family whole and complete. I don’t know why I have been blessed with such an incredible
woman in my life, but I am eternally grateful that God saw fit to bestow his
grace upon my soul.
