Fourteen years ago today I married my sunshine!
After high school hopping for awhile Jason started at our school a couple of months into our senior year. On the first day he attended economics class the teacher told him he could sit at the end of my row. He instead sat in the empty desk in front of me. He later told me he did so because he thought I was pretty (awww so sweet). We shared a book during class since he often “forgot” his book in his locker. One day he wrote on the top of my page, “Will you marry me?” I told him not until he gave me an engagement ring. That Christmas I found a card from him on my door step with a gum machine plastic ring in it. We went on our first date that next weekend. We played pool, went back to his house to meet his dad, and climbed up on the roof to see the stars. He was a perfect gentleman. So many boys our age at the time thought making out on a first date was standard. It was wonderful to hang out with someone who never pressured me or made me uncomfortable about physical expectations. I still remember the feeling of his hand when he offered to help from the roof to the garden wall as we climbed down. His hands have always felt as if they were made to fit mine perfectly. I still love the feeling of holding his hand.
We exchanged notes often during school. One day he gave me a note with something scratched out on the top. Being a normal curious teen girl I carefully erased the scribble and was able to make out what had been erased. It was the lyrics to “You are my Sunshine”. I pretended not to know what it said and asked what he scribbled out. He would not say. The song was stuck in my head though and without thinking about it I later began to hum the song. When he heard me he was surprised and asked what made me think of that song. I confessed I had been able to read what was written and with a red face he admitted fearing to look too corny since we had just started dating. The song has been our song ever since.
Jason left for the Marine Corp after high school and I went to college. We had talked about wanting to get married but were young. I wanted to finish school so I could be with him. I took classes year round to graduate in three years instead of four. In the beginning of my third year he got orders to Okinawa and we decided to elope. My sister was planning a wedding for the 12th of November. I knew she had a lot of work and expense involved, and well, we were doing things somewhat impulsively and there was no time before he would be on the other side of the world. We married during the week and since I am practical to the point of flaw we did not go on our honeymoon until that weekend because I had exams. My only regret is hurting our parents by not giving them the opportunity to share in our life changing day. We spent our first year apart while I finished school and he was overseas. When we finally got to live together we had already been married for over a year! [Just thought I would add… we tell our children mom and dad were foolish and they are not allowed to follow our example 🙂 !!! ]
In May of 2000 we had our marriage convalidation in the Catholic Church. It was our public awknowledgement of wanting God in our marriage and to receive His sacramental grace.
Now we have eight beautiful children and are blessed with being able to fall asleep and wake up everyday together. Our life is so much more wonderful than I ever could have imagined fourteen years ago. I am looking forward to all the blessings, challenges, and quiet moments of what I pray will be a lifetime of growing old with my sunshine.
You are my Sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are gray.
You’ll never know dear,
How much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away.