in saying yes to love (15 years wed)

There is a way of looking at the world
which takes great faith to see:

before all time began,
the word love was breathed into the universe,
and in every time since then,
its echo is waiting to be told.

And in childish dreams we long for love
to find us
tightly scripting our hopes by poetry and love songs
never imagining the courage it takes
to make the words of love our own.

Because in saying yes to love –
until death do us part –
we choose that the paper our story is written on
will, from now on, be kindness,
that the ink that writes our next pages
will forever be grace,
and that the words that fill and shape our lives
will be patience
and justice
and forgiveness…

And in the moments – because they will come –
when the ink runs out
and the paper is crumpled
and the story of love feels like it has no words left to be told,
may the silence that stretches before us
be filled with the faith
of the echo
of the memory
of the love

spoken into the world
before all time began

(by Cheryl Lawrie @ Hold this Space) 

15 years wed, quite a milestone in this day and age (cripes how old do I sound!).
I was browsing the net last night looking for some schmoozy quote or poem that summed up our nearly 2 decades together.   Reading lovey dovey stuff made me realise just how much has changed for us since becoming parents.  The most obvious thing (apart from seeing so much less of each other now) is that when I read declarations of love it’s E’s face that springs to mind not G’s! Sounds funny I know but I’m certain George would say the same; sharing a deeper bond than we could have ever imagined back in 1998 by our unconditional love for our little guy.

The poem I chose to share, ‘In saying yes to love’, was written by Cheryl as a wedding reflection for friends.  She has such a beautiful way with words and this poem in particular touched my heart in a number of ways.
”There is a way of looking at the world which takes great faith to see” Cheryl begins.
For so many years our world was we two and not how we’d planned it to be.  It took great faith to realise our dream of being parents and when I think of all we went through to have Euan it’s summed up in this anonymous quote

‘‘When the world says ”Give up”, Hope whispers “Try one more time”

Our love for E was certainly “an echo waiting to be told”.  He was born out of a partnership where kindness is central. Grace and patience are welcome friends in our home and when stretched thin their mutual friend forgiveness can usually be found waiting in the wings. When the story of our love has no words left to be told, the silence that stretches before us will be cherished, together.  We need no words, no cards, no presents – love is a decision we make every day and our actions speak quietly for us.  Out of the silence our love is made visible in him.

ps.  Happy Anniversary to my lovely mum and dad who are also celebrating this week – a terrific 45 years for them!  It’ll be our first anniversaries without my nan so lovely to have an opportunity to remember special moments shared with her.

For other annual wedding anniversary posts click here