As everyone else celebrates devotion to a nation I want to take a moment to celebrate mine to you and yours to me.
Ours is a great love story!
Meeting all those years ago, working together and getting married to different people at the same time.
Thankfully neither of those marriages worked out.
Sometimes Divorce is a great gift from God as we grow and learn that people come and go in life.
In the Bible everyone's always on a pilgrimage ... to find the Holy Land, be tempted in the Desert for 40 days or to find a rock where you can build a church ... so I don't know why anyone thinks living our life is any different.
"Micheal Elliott" I sadly say into the receiver.
"Seriously," you reply laughingly in your very understated humor, "that's how you answer the phone?"
You moved back, we worked together again a little while, God granted our Divorces, we went on an emotional roller coaster ride landing in each other's laps.
Today, while everyone celebrates America, I'm celebrating you.
You took a washed up Beach Bum and love me in ways deeper than any Ocean.
Doubling the number of children in my life, I love the crazy, always unexpected expressions of love from our children.
Last night at the fireworks on the Pier, I comforted one who's scared shitless of booms in the sky while you celebrated with another and the third was trying to make fireworks of her own in the sand below.
In the sand is where we had our start and not a day passes that I don't remember ... the walk ... holding hands in the dark ... the roar of the Ocean ... the pull into an embrace ... falling ... Sandy Kisses.
Leaving the Beach yesterday, my headphones in my ears endlessly supplying music that keeps me sane, you turn and say, "I have sand in my mouth."
Instantly I want to have our first kiss again.
We're still on a crazy emotional roller coaster ride but the ups and downs are about other things ... money, taxes, unrelenting demands from others ... not about us.
Thank God for the Independence we needed to have to find each other.
Thank God for you!
And Babes ... I'm packing a little sand for you.
Got it right here.
