A Few Off The Infinity List

A man gets few life-changing events in his life, those events that change his direction, alter his course, and reverses his heading.  36 years ago today I experienced the second of the five such experiences I have had in 61 years of life, I got married.  Nothing in all of life prepared or prepares me for being married.  Marriage is like the greatest adventure on earth that you do with one other person with no guide, no manual, and no blazes on the trail.  It is often bizarrely funny, difficult, takes 24/7 practice and there is no mastery level.  The goal is to have a great marriage, the skills needed:

1. No cheating, now way, no how.

2. Chase each other around; it’s a lot like tag, everyone knows how to play.

3. Always be up for adventure, you can wash your clothes, get new shoes and your hair will always look great wet.

4. You’re gonna argue but make making up incredible.

5. Picnic, hike, venture and road trip, audacious spirits making going to the grocery an adventure.

6. Involve each other in your passions; learning to role-play is a good way to learn to love it. 

7. Stay together; anything, I mean anything you can do alone you can figure out how to do better together.

8. Look your best, promote your body, accessorize—FOR YOUR LOVER.

9. Make it your goal to always surprise your spouse, in every way, with everything, on every day.

10. 61/68 is better than 60/67 and unimaginably better than 25/32, the ages we were when we wed.

11. Hold hands and each of you prays out loud as the next to the last thing you say each night.

12. Say, “I love you” last.

13. Make it your goal to never spend the night apart, it might happen but it should be your goal not to. 

14. Wrestle.  In the yard or on the trail when you're young.  In bed when you’re older—softness keeps you from hurting your old bones.  Tickling is allowed.  To understand this you must understand the goal—to end holding each other laughing!

15. Talk about everything, nothing is off-limits, sex, politics, death, children, in-laws, the preacher, etc. but only to each other.  It isn’t gossiping if it is ALWAYS between the two of you. 

16. Always put your lover ahead of everyone and everything on earth.  Only God in Christ gets a better place (and He is in a league all His own, just you and Him).

17. Make sure your lover always knows, that you know, and have not, and will not, ever forget, they are the only one for you. 

Happy anniversary.

36 years ago

36 years later