Smiling Koala – dreaming furry Koala dreams…
Have you taken time to thank your angels lately…? Yes, they could be the ones that hangout invisibly with you on a daily basis, but I’m talking about the flesh and bones ones.The angels who open doors for us, or make us a steaming cup of coffee while serving 100 other customers. The ones who check in on us, drop us a note every once in a while or the angels in our family and those we consider family. The cabbie, the mailman, the store clerk, the neighbor who watches our homes when we’re away – they’re all angels in one way or another because they’re doing something for us, whether they’re getting paid or not. All of those people, doing something just for us, how special we must be! So today I’d like to say a big thank you to my husband, an angel in disguise.
This past weekend we spent our 35th anniversary in San Diego. We were married at the International Center on the campus of UCSD, by a Minister of Hunger (yep we might not actually be married). After the reception, in which ‘we’ served our guests deli sandwiches, we celebrated by having friends up to our “honeymoon” suite for pizza, cocktails and present opening. When they had all left, fireworks could be seen from our hotel room and I thanked my new husband for organizing such a special gift for our wedding! Little did I know that SeaWorld did that every Saturday night… well it was the perception of the gift that counted.
From that day on we have shared births, deaths, houses, and a variety of jobs, cars, neighborhoods, and pets. I have loved, liked, hated, liked, loved this guy like a roller coaster and he has been my best friend throughout it all. He’s the one who fell asleep while I was in labor, the one who carried both our son and daughter to many emergency room visits and the artist who created wood-working masterpieces that turned out to be the most beautiful decks attached to each of our homes. He was the one who kept a positive attitude when we once again moved to another state because of a job, when there seemed to be only loneliness and an endless amount of work ahead. He’s the one who gave up beloved hobbies so the children could play soccer and took that final drive with our favorite pets to the vet, when I just couldn’t bear it. And with fear in his eyes he’s the one who held my hand when we spoke to the doc about my tumor.
I have seen him cry a few times at the losses in his life, but he mainly chooses to see the bright side, even when it seems as if the sun will never shine again. He can’t speak enough about his children, his sister’s and brother’s families and some of his happiest times are sipping tequila and smoking a cigar with his son on the patio and watching his daughter play college soccer.
For six years he drove 650 miles every other weekend to be greeted with a honey-do list, abbreviated time with the children and no time for visiting with friends.
So today I’d like to thank this angel who has put up with more than I’d like to admit for the last 35 years…
Don’t wait for a special occasion to thank the angels in your lives. Shouldn’t they know how incredibly special they are….now?
Grateful for you…
Sheree
(Smiling Koala courtesy of angel-husband)