The Vow - Personally

A movie opened this weekend that many are going to see.  It has been the discussion of Facebook posts and in many offices and other venues.  It has been in many of the previews at movies, topic of talk shows, and probably major disruption to a community in New Mexico where the couple live that the movie is based on.  It sounds like it will be a great movie to see and I am hoping to get to see it.  Wedding vows seem to be taken so much more lightly now than in the past and from what I can gather about the movie, it helps to promote what the vows actually mean.  To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part - seem to be just words without a lot of thought about the actual cost for those words.

Last weekend I was very privileged to see those words lived out, as I have seen in the past several years, but none so eloquently as the past year.  My sister's birthday was last weekend.  I had tried 3 different weekends last year, to surprise her with a visit for her birthday.  Unfortunately, the weather refused to cooperate and I finally gave up trying to make the trip.  This year the weather was cooperating so I again planned to make a surprise visit.  Last year I had communicated with her husband to make arrangements to come.  This year, I communicated with her oldest son.  The reason is that her husband and best friend was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) this past August.  The disease has progressed very rapidly so I was not able to speak with him to be sure everything would be okay for a surprise visit.  We have spent some time with them during the past few months and see the vow that was made 30 years ago continue to be honored and lived.  This is not the first time as life has dealt some substantial blows but they have continued to live out the vows exchanged on September 11, 1981. 

My sister is a strong, beautiful woman, inside and out.  She would be the first to state that isn't true, but those who know her see the outer beauty but even more see the character and beauty within.  She continues to honor her husband (many consider to be an outdated, unnecessary trait) with her words, her deeds, and requires her sons to do the same.  She speaks to him with a kind voice, works to understand what he is saying, and does what she can to see his needs are met.  Are there days she doesn't want to do this anymore - of course.  Are there days she just wants to run away - absolutely.  Does she do any of those?  No - she honors the vows she made so many years ago.  She does it with dignity, strength and grace every day!  I love my sister and my brother in law and it hurts to watch them have to walk this road.  But in the same breath, I see the vow lived out in their lives as do their boys and so many others around them.

The trip - it was a great surprise and we had a wonderful weekend, just hanging out and talking.  Shari - I love you and hope you know that you, Mike and your boys continue to be in our prayers daily!