Flashback

I interrupt this cyber celebration of Advent to bring you an update on our Thanksgiving. It's a little late, yes, but it deserves a post, mostly because it involves my husband. And he is rad.

On Thanksgiving morning, Jim ran his first half marathon. Now, even though he hasn't run this distance before, participating in an organized race isn't something out of the ordinary--Jim was a college athlete and completed a triathalon before Big Brother came along. He's constantly getting out and exercising somehow. What was noteworthy about this competition is that it took place at the end of a wild season for Jim--one in which he expected to be able to train extensively, but actually only made it out to run once or twice a week because of sick kids, two weddings, a trip to New York, and an unexpected (and exciting) interview process for what is now a new job. Although the race was thirteen plus miles, I don't think he ever got in a practice run longer than ten.

See, this is where my husband and I are radically different. In this situation, I would have declined to run the race (if I haven't studied, I'm not ready for the test, right?). Preparation gives me confidence. Jim, on the other hand, never considered not running. He just got up at 5 AM on Thanksgiving Day, got out there without so much as an iPod, and ran the thing.

We went to cheer for him around the five mile marker. Big Brother insisted on wearing his football helmet, which attracted a lot of attention from runners who needed a little pick me up. He solicited some very enthusiastic Tarheel cheers. I was proud.

When Daddy rounded the corner, we went wild. He looked great.

About an hour and a half later, we began looking for him at the finish line.

It took a while to find him. Confused about the timing of the whole thing, I started to get nervous that he had gotten sick and had to stop. Big Brother, who was enthralled with the runners, decided that he, too, wanted to run and assigned himself to daddy-watch with laser focus. When Jim finally appeared, he jumped into the race, grabbed his hand, and ran him home.

Jim later told us that Big Brother's companionship gave the energy he needed to push through cramping legs and finish. He was hurting, but he did it.

To talk to Big Brother, you would have thought that his daddy won an Olympic gold medal. I wasn't really surprised--after eight years of marriage, I'm finally beginning to trust that my husband will always do what he sets out do. But I was, as I often am, taken aback with admiration for him--especially because, after thirteen miles and with burning legs, he welcomed Big Brother into the race, let him take all the glory, and then did this when his head was spinning:

A few nights ago at about 11 PM, I got really frustrated with a project that is supposed to become a special Christmas gift. Basically, I realized after buying lots of materials and spending a considerable amount of time, that my idea wasn't really possible. Because I'm hardheaded, I kept at it until I exploded in frustration, launched a tirade of cuss words, and threw the whole thing at the wall. I'm not proud of it--it's just true. I don't think that Jim was asleep, but he was really peaceful and comfortable on the sofa behind me until my expletives jolted him up. And rather than lecturing me on my mouth or the fruitlessness of my project, he just got up, sat me in his place, got down on the floor, and did the silly thing for me. He didn't come up with a new method or solve my problems, he just got into the mess with me. I felt so loved that I got teary.

The point is that my husband is really different from me. That used to bother me (and to be honest, I still have my moments--so does he:)), but I'm learning slowly that the differences are really, really good. And that without him I would be a complete freak.

So Jim, I love you. I wish I could be more like you. And everyone else, I hope my sappy stories are at least a poor reminder to you that God is GOOD and loves the messiest of people. And gives us exactly what He knows we need.
Happy Thursday!