Being laid up with a bum foot takes me back to the earliest days of our marriage..I lie here reminiscing of all the “better or worse” moments that Gregger endured due to his vows of “in sickness and health.” One month into our wedded bliss when my wisdom teeth when south, he was asking my parents for a 30 day return policy – my dad’s response…”She’s all yours!” The good news for me (falling fast and hard) was that Greg never saw what hit him…within a year, this 21-year old gem was falling apart. I had my wisdom teeth pulled, multiple sinus surgeries, and had contracted major migraines – lucky me, lucky him. We weathered those rocky roads, but I think (no, I KNOW) there were times he wish he had a money back guarantee. The best of our years were often rocked with my health issues and it didn’t make life easy. To be honest, I don’t know how he put up with me half the time…
Life presents so many challenges but health issues are a whole new ballgame. It’s like being thrown a curveball in the middle of a no-hitter…suddenly you know you have to completely change up your game. You put on the mitt, you catch what you can, but you drop a lot of balls along the way. In forty years we were thrown plenty of curveballs…we were both the WORST patients! We loved being the caretakers, but sucked when we were on the other side! That certainly takes its toll, but, like all the bumps, hills, and mountains we climbed, we made it through those too. I think at the end of the day we realize the worst of times always makes the “best” seem that much better…it leads to gratitude, blessings, and a true appreciation for the gift of love and life. If Gregger were here now, he’d be bugging me about elevating my foot, staying off of it, carrying over all the dishes, and doing everything for me…I would argue with him that I could do it myself and not to baby me. UGH! Oh how I wish I could utter those words…isn’t it true we always want what we can’t have? I can certainly attest to that now, but I will forever remain grateful “for better and worse.”