Unknown at the time ,but I'm sure it was destiny, there were two other Winchester weddings many years prior. They were similar to my marriage to that baby faced Sailor soon deploying. We each had very small weddings and nothing flashy. I believe I'm the only one that got married in burgundy velvet though. You see... my grandmother married my grandfather, an Army Special Forces Veteran and then My mother married my father an Army Veteran himself. Little did I know that nine years later I would be the wife of an Army National Guard Soldier. Destiny? I'm convinced of it. I'm also happy to announce that both my parents and grandparents where happy marriages that followed their vows of till death do us part.
My grandma (Ma as I call her ) is one of those, I want a love like that story. Grandpa has been gone since I was a year old and to this day, everything for that house is still in my grandfather's name. When she talks about him she gets that soft take your breath away whisper of unconditional love. He's not Donald or Don when she speaks of him, he's "My Don". "MY" is always spoken before his name. They'd had their up times and down times but always pulled together and made it through, raising 5 kids through everything. I love when I can go home, you can feel the love of a farm wife and military Steel Mill man coursing through the hardwood floors and ever corner has the blood, sweat and tears my Grandparents put into it.
I usually wouldn't say that Cowboy of mine is a romantic. In fact I'm guilty of on more than one occasion saying I married the most unromantic man on the face of the earth. I'm serious. Don't be laughing at me and guys don't be rolling your eyes at me either.
A Cowgirl story time again...
Cowboy and I are dating, we are sitting on a bench at a city park in MD. It's sunset and the reflection of the gold yellow and purple setting sun is on a pond with fountains. We're watching the ducks and swans swim across in happy little couples, I lay my head on his shoulder and he says "Sure wish I had a shotgun." Yep, all this lovely romantic, Hallmark card setting and my sweetheart wishes he had a shotgun because of all the ducks swimming in front of him. For a proposal, I got a lovely red rose with my ring hidden inside and a nervous and shaking cowboy on one knee, trying not to cuss at the gravel he's kneeling on. With a dip in his lip he asks "Do me the honor...Will you be my wife?" After which I try not to giggle at how totally uncomfortable this mushy moment is making him and I say yes. Following my saying yes, was a huge sigh of relief, a kiss and a swat on my bottom going up the steps to the house to tell my mom.
Today at about noon...I got a phone call from the local florist checking to make sure I was home and about 20 minutes later.... These are sitting on my kitchen table.
Besides the flowers which I'll explain in a moment is a card. I open the card and in my darling's handwriting is the words "Even though I'm not physically here, I'm here in heart" signed by my Cowboy soldier. Sigh!
It gets better... there are 3 blue carnations representing out 3 beautiful cowboybabies, 2 white carnations representing, that made me cry today Cowboy Soldier of mine and myself and 9 red carnations one for each year we've been married. All red white blue because of the military family we are. WHAAAAAA, yep water works hit.
Over a month ago before he left for his school in CA, he stopped at the local florist paid for the flowers, filled out the card and arranged for them to be delivered on our anniversary.
So, ladies reading this...Even those, rough around the edges, dragging their knuckles cavemen we married, might not show it often, there is still a romantic in there somewhere. We married them for who they are not what we want to make them, because you see now...instead of getting upset at him wishing for a shotgun, I'll grab my shotgun and go hunting with him (in the wild, not in a city park, had to clarify that.) Walking side by side with my man through a field of wild prairie grass means more to me than walking down a beach after a candle lit dinner. It's time alone, it's togetherness and it's both of us being comfortable. I was me, he was him, and we've grown together to find and make us.
Happy Anniversary Cowboy honey.
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