Cultivating Gratitude: Day 1

On September 12th, I posted on twitter “10 years of _______________”.

What do you say about ten years of marriage? It certainly has not be “bliss” but rather ten years of some of the best days of my life, some of the worst days of my life, challenges, blessings, tears, laughter, fighting, loving and generally slogging through the mire until you are so weary you feel like you could collapse. In the low times, I asked myself would things be different if I hadn’t married a musician? You know, married for money and not for love?

But the reality is, I always come back to the same answer. Yes, things would be different…but I wouldn’t trade what Ben and I have for anything. I look around at the couples that seem to have it all – the nice house, the financial security, the beautiful things and yet, too many of them come to a point where no amount of money can resolve their discontentment and differences and they part ways. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be in a marriage where one or both individuals feel unloved, disrespected or trapped.

I am so grateful for Ben. I am grateful that despite his challenging occupation of choice, he is a man of integrity and follower of Jesus Christ. He is steadfast, caring and gentle. He is still my favourite person to be with and while he is a poor cook and can never seem to face the towels in the correct direction in the linen closet, he is a wonderful father. I am so grateful that while we are so completely different in so many ways, we enjoy so many of the same things like travelling, going on adventures, eating good food and showing hospitality. And I am grateful that the we have had each other through the hard times – that we have not had to travel the rough patches alone but had one another to pick the other up when we felt that we could not go on.

It hasn’t always been easy. And I am sure there will be times in the future that will be worse than I ever thought possible (although after the last two years, I doubt it) but no matter what life throws our way, my hand in yours and ours in God’s gives me strength.