The Ace up our Sleeve

I can't tell you the number of times we're out in town and in the midst of a big old laugh someone nearby chimes in. My husband is gregarous and witty and people like him. He calls out to me in the store with nicknames like, 'my precious wonderment' or something else silly, and for just a moment the faces around us burst into a broad smile and you can see by their expression they believe in the hopefulness of a lasting marriage - in the possibilities.

They don't know our newlywed story unless they ask, and if they do we tell them about the amazing set of circumstances that led us to each other, and how implausable it would have been to meet otherwise.

Family is so important to us. Not a week goes by that we don't spend time with family in different combinations, and every time we do we long for a bigger diningroom to accommodate more. Concerts and bbqs and weeknight dinners, and movie nights...

The company where my husband works is failing and we are bracing for impact. Talk around the table is about the changes that will bring. What life might look like, contingency plans and possible moves. We wonder what living among strangers would be like if it comes to that. I love my job and he loves his, and at our age this would be an even bigger deal.

As we sit holding hands over a cup of coffee, we look around at the beautiful faces of our blended families all over the walls. We remember how much change we have been through. We decide that the best preparation is probably in our attitudes of facing it in a positive, welcoming way.

But we have something extra this go-round: the Ace up our sleeve is each other.