Happy 12th Anniversary, Jewls
I still
remember it like it was yesterday, that hot August 12th in 2000, when you walked
with your mom and dad down the stairs of the open auditorium of In Pursuit
Camps in Seymour, Indiana. It was the day we said "yes" to a lifetime
together. Your face, your dress, your eyes said everything. You were radiant,
pure, beautiful, gentle, and ready to begin the journey of a lifetime.
That day
was the culmination of more than three years of dating after meeting in college.
It was a big step that we did not take lightly. We knew that the journey of two
lives becoming one, bridging two cultures, and merging two languages would have
its challenges. You wrestled for a while, and so did I. For a time, you played
hard to get, and I think I even got you back once—just for a moment. Above all,
we both wanted to follow God's path for us and not be an obstacle in each
other’s life.
In time,
God answered our prayers and confirmed our "yes" to each other. We discovered
that neither of us could be without the other, even if we tried. I could not
get away from you and be happy. We'd both gone to Anderson University for a
degree, but we ended up with much more than that: We found each other.
You
loved the outdoors, so we decided to keep things simple with a wedding under
the morning sun. Our family was there. Friends came to support us. Our friend
Mark and my dad led the ceremony. Our groomsmen and bridesmaids were dressed
for the occasion. And you and I both sweated so much that I am still trying to
cool off. I still feel sorry for everybody sitting in the sun and getting
sunburned by the end of the ceremony.
We washed
each other’s feet during our wedding ceremony to symbolize the way we desired
to live out our commitment to each other and to our calling. You had service on
your mind. Marriage was about serving God and each other. It was not so much
about what you or I could get out of it, but about how we could help each other
to become the woman and man that God intended.
After
the ceremony, the staff and friends at the camp surprised us with a hot-air
balloon ride, which almost took us to Kentucky because the pilot did not have a
place to land. I was ready to jump out of the balloon. We landed in a farmer’s
backyard, and everyone cheered. It was quite the surprise for people watching
TV in their house to suddenly see this massive balloon landing outside.
We had embarked
on the journey of a lifetime, and August 12th became one of our favorite days of
the year. You loved to be surprised with either a special outing or just
something custom planned. But regardless of whether we celebrated our
anniversary in a simple or extravagant fashion, you embraced my way of
expressing my love for you because you loved me, unconditionally.
Over the
years, God was good to us. We dreamed of growing old together and sitting under
the oak that we planted in our front yard when my grandmother Emilie turned
100. This tree became a solid reminder to us of our commitment to each other
and to God.
Of
course, we had our bumps in the road. There were days when you probably wanted
to send me out for a jog. Indeed, when we needed some space from each other,
jogging or biking seemed to be a great outlet for some stress or just a good
opportunity to think about how to resolve our differences. Our struggles
brought us closer to each other. We desired to grow as a couple through
anything that came our way. Seeing families destroyed by so many of today's issues,
we fought very hard to avoid going down the same path.
We wanted
anything that came our way to be a stepping stone to a stronger marriage. Whether
times were easy or hard, I appreciated so many things about you, Julie:
1.
You
were intentional about our relationship. Thank you.
2.
You
were proactive about learning to do new things, such as speak Spanish or cook. Thank
you.
3.
You
worked on being a good hostess, so important in Latin America, even though that
was not one of your gifts, as you often shared. Thank you.
4.
You
were constantly learning. It made for some very fun conversations around the
table. Thank you.
5.
You
cared for Timi and Anahi. You wanted our children to grow up with a mommy and a
daddy as their first influence. Thank you.
6.
You
focused on me. You knew my likes and dislikes. You found running shoes on sale,
shirts, and racing equipment. You loved giving gifts. You came alongside me and
made sure that I was okay. Thank you.
7. You never forgot family birthdays or
special occasions. You pushed for family celebrations. Thank you.
8. You loved sitting and spending time
with me and asking me how my day went. I miss that so much. Thank you.
I am in
Orlando today, Julie, celebrating the life that God gave us together with the
family here. On the drive down, I had the chance to spend time in the beautiful
mountains of Tennessee. You would have loved it. Each day I was there, I could just
hear you saying, "Norb, look at that unique bird," or, "See that
funny-shaped flower?" I could hear you saying, "Norb, this is life." We saw so many beautiful
places together. I would have loved to continue seeing and climbing more
mountains with you.
I will
miss you today, Julie. I will miss your spontaneous laughter as you looked
forward to a special event. I will miss you looking into my eyes and saying, "Norb,
I love you." And I will miss telling you how much I love you and how much
I love being married to you.
Happy
12th anniversary, Julie. I will never forget you.
Te amo,
Norberto
