Being There

One of the funny things about marriage is how things shift over time... how the relationship moves along like a river and is never static. The emotions, understandings, known elements, unknown elements, etc. between me and Andy have changed considerably during the course of our marriage. I think it's one of the little gifts you get by linking yourself to another person for a lifetime - you can always be surprised... your knowledge of and appreciation for the other person continues to increase each day.

Andy did something today that provided one such moment wherein my concept of him expanded and my love and appreciation for him was magnified. We were at the mall in Marion with Ari to see the puppies and kitties there. On the way back out, we stopped to ride the little mall rides outside the food court.

We only had enough money for one ride, and Ari immediately decided she wanted to ride the horse, which surprised me because the ice cream truck has always been her absolute #1 favorite. I kept explaining the 1 ride principal and asking if she was sure this was the one she wanted, convinced she was going to be disappointed when it was over. But Andy assured me she knew what she was doing - that they had been playing a game together lately when she rode the horse.

The ride started up, and Andy began a full-on pantomime routine running alongside the horse. He would pretend to trip and fall. Surge ahead gleefully and then fall behind ruefully. Grab the ropes and insist he was going to steal the horse, only to lose his grip or struggle to keep up. Ari giggled and laughed the whole time, and my husband - who is generally somewhat shy when out in public and often experiences social anxiety around strangers - invested fully in what could easily be called a brilliant clowning routine... created solely for the joy of his daughter.

It was beautiful, moving, generous, amazingly loving, and full of delightful playfulness. My gratitude for my husband soared, and my perception of him realigned to include all the new discoveries of an unexpected moment in the middle of a mall.