Well, Wendy…another important date. Another Jamin-length monologue. Another cheesy slideshow. Another perfect day to tell you how I feel:
Privileged. Grateful. Fortunate.
The truth is, life sucks with you. But not very often, right now. And not because of you. At least not very often, right now. The truth is, life is going to suck on its own. You get the red pill or the blue pill and neither is easy. Occasionally in this life, a few of us lucky ones get the chance to deeply share the not-easy with someone else, and thereby soften our suffering, amplify our joy, and broaden our perspective.
So, anyone would have been better than no one.
Ha! I’m joking. I’ve seen pretty deeply into that terrifying lie. Some people are absolute hell to live with, no matter how hard you work at it. Most people are missing the flexibility of mind, humility of heart, and the smokin’ hot bod you’ve chosen. So, while every relationship is hard work, not all of them are worth it. This one is. You are.
The last 365 have been a beautiful bonus. I’m grateful we got to spend it together, on this side of The Other Side. I’m grateful our kids got to attend one less funeral, and I’m grateful you held us all together. The paradise and the purgatory – it’s all better because I get to share it with you.
Twenty-something Jamin…I don’t know how he did it. Somehow, he knew something. That’s pretty shocking. I would have advised the opposite of so many of his choices. But he was dead-on for the one thing that mattered most. By luck or wisdom or some divine straightjacket, he picked exactly the girl who would turn into exactly the woman who would cultivate exactly the family that would be exactly where I belong.
So now, several evolutions later, I’m pretty glad he was in charge of that one, and I’m pretty glad that young lady was smitten enough to sign up for the unadvisable adventure. I’d probably warn her about how crazy he is, but honestly, she handled it better than I would have. She’s a freaking rock star! And Wendy 2.0, 3.0, and the 2021 edition…even better!
So however hellish or heavenly #366 ends up being, here’s to one more day in paradise.