Thirty-nine years ago, at the tender ages of 27 and 26, we embarked on our journey into matrimony. It was a time of halcyon enchantment, where the cares of the world appeared distant and unreal. Those days, oh, how they shimmer like a dream, the era of our nascent love, steeped in the ethereal glow of wedded harmony – a scene plucked from the reels of some timeless romance. Those were the days when the world seemed to pause, as if in deference to our love. We were but fledgling lovers, cocooned in the embrace of marital enchantment – a story woven with the threads of a timeless romance.
But time has woven its threads, and today, my physical being bears the weight of countless pains, while my thoughts navigate through a labyrinth of endless worries. They say you are only ever as happy as your unhappiest child, and to that, I would add grandchild too! As responsible parents and grandparents, it’s hard to mentally detach from the lives of your brood or clan, kith and kin. On a daily basis, a cascade of anxieties courses through my mind, like whispers of a distant storm. In the midst of this tempest, amidst a changed world, weathered by the weight of a body wrecked with pain and relentless physical discomfort due to stenosis of my spinal canal and osteoarthritis of my left hip, I still find solace in the unwavering presence of my beloved wife.
No doubt she too has become a different person over the years; very quick to give as good as she gets. Every conversation risks being becoming an argument, very often due to no fault of hers. (I am the trigger.) Every encounter risks being yet another bout of exasperation on my part. (Oh, where is that soft-spoken doe-eyed girl I fell in love with eons ago?)
But despite that, the constancy of her support is my anchor, a testament to her unwavering acceptance of my quirks.
She has so much to carry on her narrow shoulders – the weight of the world, in fact! Yet, she stands beside me, a steadfast beacon of unwavering support, sharing my pain while embracing my idiosyncrasies, ill temper, impatience, irritability, grouchiness and cantankerousness with a gentle understanding and forebearance that soothes the tumult within.
In her company, I see the silhouette of those untroubled days, and I am reminded that love’s tapestry is woven not just with threads of bliss, but also the threads of shared burdens, of tender resilience, and enduring companionship.
Together, we share the burdens that life has bestowed upon us, drawing strength from the profound connection that has only deepened with time.
So on to yet another year of marital bliss!
Hopefully – fingers crossed – neither I nor my beloved wife gets taken away before the next anniversary!