Jungle Love
It’s the wedding season. Love is in the air. A while back, I came across what I think is one of the best pieces of marital advice and I’ve given it to my own children. If you’re getting married this summer, or know of someone getting married and need to write something in a card and can’t think of anything, or are newly married, yourself…I love this grandmother’s counsel. It’s practical. It’s simple. And it may not always apply but as a general rule? Solid wisdom. It boils down to this sage insight in troubling times: “This too shall pass.” I think it’s brilliant because even though her description is a little over-the-top, it’s real, and because I think this reminder could help curb snap judgments in the heat of the moment(s). She says to her granddaughter and future grandson:
“Here’s what I have to say about being married. Some day you will look at him hating him with every fiber of your being, wishing he would die the most violent death possible. It will pass.”
And while I have your ear, I have a teeny bit of advice. I’ve been married thirty-five years to a great guy. We don’t always agree. But often when I have an idea—dude is game. This past weekend he put on army face paint and wielded a machete all in the name of love.
It was dusk when we were hiking back from our jungle-love-bushwhacking-trail-blazing-adventure. Our intention was to be back before sunset because, well, wild animals. Our guerilla tactics had taken us a little longer than anticipated so it was getting dark when an actual wild animal ran across our path. I Someone screamed.
The animal was most likely a coyote but it could have been a cougar. Either way, we decided to reach into the backpack and brandish our weapons once again just in case for the rest of our trek back to the trailhead.
As we walked, we chatted about how funny this might look to a passerby—just a suburban middle-aged couple in camo and face paint, holding hands, strolling into the sunset. One with a machete, and one with a hatchet.
It’s a jungle out there.
Don’t forget to have fun.
