October 11, 2015: The Days in Between

Today may seem like a normal day to most. For me it carries some special significance. With a little research and reflection, I was reminded of a similar fall day six years ago. The day was a Sunday. It was the eleventh of October. The year was 2009.

I was in the middle of a divorce and in Denver to attend a weekend conference. I flew in on Saturday the 10^th, and woke up to what seemed to be a very ordinary Sunday. Getting used to a new ‘aloneness’ with my three young boys now away from me every other weekend, Denver was a welcome reprieve from the quiet of my home.

The conference was on healthcare. The Sunday presentation was on healthcare technology. And the speaker was Garrett Brucker.

Like today, the Broncos were the featured afternoon NFL game. Introducing myself to the presenter, Garrett and I exchanged pleasantries in the conference hotel bar with the Broncos playing on the background screens.

Today I called Garrett from the Omaha airport reminding him of our football beginnings. The Broncos were trailing the Raiders overhead as I basked in this reflection. Peyton’s yelling ‘Omaha, Omaha’ was an irony worthy of a smile.

Fast forward six years. My mind is swarming in warm thoughts of our days in between and my thankfulness for God’s continued blessings. Much has happened in a six year span.

Life has filled our days with both struggles and happiness. Bad decisions, as well as great luck, are abound. But with each day, we grow as a couple and do our best to keep perspective and purity of motive. We challenge each other daily in our faith and decision-making.

Kids have grown up. Kids have moved away. As parents, we have gone through heartbreak and joy. Together we've dealt with the struggles of single parenting, co-parenting, and step-parenting. Not for the faint of heart. But we’ve done it.

We’ve made mistakes. We’ve celebrated the accomplishments of our combined children and each other. And frankly, we’ve survived. With each tough decision and milestone, we’ve grown closer.

Together we climb mountains, battle bad guys, have seen amazing sites and gained many new wonderful friends along the way. As a couple, we enjoy the simple blessings in everyday life.

My job is to make Garrett laugh. His is to keep me in check. My theory is that a little laughter makes a tough world lighter. And his daily gift of morning coffee gets my butt out of bed. The last text I received while walking out the door in route to the airport was asking whether I packed my vitamins. My accountability partner never takes a day off.

Our much needed week off together begins on a day when it all began. And I thank God every day for the blessing of my caring and sweet husband. A man of integrity. Our fun days in between are just frosting on the cake.

Live. Laugh. Love. Can it get any better?

Let our vacation week begin. I am anxious to hear how the Broncos did (on an airplane with no internet). And, yes, I did remember my vitamins.