Honeymoon - Redux

I was looking through some old video tapes, you know the ones you have to watch with a Hi-8 camera. I was looking for old footage of our youth group for the upcoming Youth Sunday service, when I found a tape of our Honeymoon in Jamaica.

Looking at that footage I had this feeling of wishing I could go on my honeymoon all over again, but as I (we are) now instead of back then. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but after nine years of being married I think we would have even a better time now.

The fact that getting to sleep in until 10:00 am would make us as giddy as two newlyweds might mean that the bar has been lowered a bit. The truth is watching that video last night I realized that I hardly knew the 23 year-old I had just married and was honeymooning with that week. I had no idea how fun, compassionate, adventurous, expressive, smart, and just plain awesome Allison would be. I also didn't realize how mad, annoyed, frustrated, and ticked off I could get at her either. This in-spite of dating and being engaged for almost two years. Despite (both of us) being a little bit fitter and flirtier I would take the 31 year-old Allison I know and have been with up to today hands down over the 23 year-old I knew back in 1998.

And I was thinking, that's the real power at the heart of marriage. Well, marriage as I have experienced it. It's cliche to say, but it's true for us that the journey is more instructive than any destination. I have been with Allison long enough now to realize that. Not that maintaining that perspective is easy all the time.

Yeah I am certain we would have a much better time with each other now than we did back then. And I am really thankful for that.