For Better or Worse

As I said before my mind likes to skip around a lot, so before I get started I have to say that I love the Genius Playlist feature on my iPhone, IT ROCKS!


Ok so last week I went down to check out a venue where I photographed a wedding on Saturday.  The wedding was at night and so I wanted to see about getting the city scape in the background, night photography can be tricky.  But anyway it got me thinking about the vows you take as a married couple and how sometimes it can be easy to forget them. 


I take you to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.


These are not just words, there is so much meaning behind them.  I have to say this is one part of the wedding that can always make me cry, the other is when the bride is walking down the isle and the groom sees her for the 1st time.  When a loving couple looks into each other's eyes and they say these words, in which ever variation they have chosen, it gets me every time.  Luckily I have a camera in front of my face so I can hide my tears until I get to the back of the church/venue to wipe my eyes.


Once the honeymoon is over and the newness of being a newlywed wears off, it is easy to get caught up in the mundane motions of life.  You may even take the other person for granted, just always expect that they will be there.  You shouldn't though, take that person for granted.  You never know when your last day with him or her will be. 


For my "day job" I work for disability and when I first started I was on the phone with a claimant and she was talking to me about her daily activities.  She had really bad arthritis or neuropathy in her hands, I can't really remember, but what she told me I will never forget.  She said that her husband helps her with the things she can't do by herself.  She gave the example that he will cut her food up so she can eat, he will help her with brushing her hair, ect.  All of these were really sweet, but when she told me that he will paint her toenails and fingernails for her, that really got me.  She said that she was so lucky to be married to her soul mate, and I thought she is so lucky that she has someone who loves her enough to paint her toes. 


I believe in soul mates, I also believe that our souls have multiple lives on this earth and that we make pacts with other souls to be part of their life the next time.  I have to say that I am lucky that I married my soul mate.  Billy and I dated in high school.  I was 16 and he was only 14, I know I was robbing the cradle.  We had a connection from the very first time we hung out together.  I spilled a diet Dr. Pepper on his white North Carolina jersey, he didn't get mad at me.  And for those who know Billy, he hates when things get spilled and back then he loved his jerseys. :)  I am a little impatient so I made the first move.  I called him to ask him out on a date.  When I called he told me he was just picking up the phone to call me, I didn't really believe him, but 13 years later this still rings true, lol no pun intended.  A couple times a week I will call him and and he will say that he just was dialing my number. 


I realized that I am pretty lucky because when I told Billy about the claimant at work he said that if I ever couldn't do anything for myself he would help me.  He would paint my toenails if I needed him to. He said it so matter of fact, like DUH, of course I would do that for you.  I heard a song the other day and one line talked about when we are old and we don't die the grey out of our hair any more, we can sit in our matching Cracker Barrel chairs and reminisce on the life we've had.  How great it is to have a love for each other that lasts that long.  And how amazing that songs and music are the sounds tracks to our lives. 


For Better or Worse till Death do us Part!