Life

My mother recently sent me the following prayer:

O Blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love.

Isn't that wonderful? I love it. I'm telling you, I leave work sometimes thinking that everyone is an addict/alcoholic and all people come from extremely dysfunctional families and marriages. I have heard stories and secrets and gossip and fears and lies and half truths and whole truths and delusions and everything in between. It's a blessing to come home at night to Jared and a calm marriage and talk to my happy parents. Yet, even I, growing up in a stable home, developed anorexia, so maybe it's just the way life is. Maybe life is just really tough and we do the best we can with what we've got. Sometimes I help and sometimes I don't. I haven't saved a life yet even though I try really hard. It's just not my job to go around saving anybody but me.

I get asked frequently, "How is married life?" I never know what to say.
Options (to be said with a straight face of course):
"It's been a looooonnnggg three weeks."
"Nine."
"The presents were so worth it."
"All the sex I want."
"How is your married life?"
"Why do you want to know? Bug off."

So, what is different? The fear is gone. We're stuck together now. We made the commitment, so the fear has dissipated. There's no wondering if he's thinking about breaking up with me. No worry that this disagreement will end things. I rest comfortably in the promise that we made to each other.