Monday, March 22, 2010

You Were There


You were there, at the beginning, when
I was falling apart, when we met over the
remains, charred, of my life then lived.
You were there, to drag me to a
law school auditorium, yes a law school
auditorium, one Sunday for church.
You were there when I asked, and
you said yes.

You were there when we were
broke, in a new city, pregnant.
You were there to say yes to
our firstborn, a son, and our
second born, a son.
You were there to hold me when
I cried, two years after my father’s
death, because it took two years.

You were there to raise two
boys, to turn them into men, because
that’s all we had, two boys.
You were there to hold and stroke
and encourage a son’s wife through
the birth of our grandson, and you
stayed through all of it because
that’s how you’re made.

You were there to live the vow,
sickness and health, richer and
poorer, and you’ll be there until
there’s no vow left to
live, except it always will be,
at least for us, because the
vow was meant, intended, designed,
believed and lived to be eternal.


"Window," photograph by nAncy of Poems and Prayers. Used with permission.
If you’d like to read related posts on faithfulness, check out the One Word Blog Carnival over at Bridget Chumbley’s place.

22 comments:

Maureen said...

Each time I read what you write about Janet, I feel as though I'm hearing you say your vows to each other.

Your sons could not want for better models of what it means to be faith-full in a marriage, to be "there" for that much of life with another.

God's blessings to you both.

S. Etole said...

What a beautiful tribute ...

Anonymous said...

beautiful
beautiful
beautiful
!

Kathleen Overby said...

Faithfulness such as this should be common and normal. It is neither. The four loves represented here.
You both chose well. Be blessed for honoring your wife so deeply.

Bonnie Gray said...

To say this was beautiful, almost sounds cliche. But, it really was.

Until I read everyone's comments here, I seriously thought you were writing about God.

Now, I see it was about your wife.

What a holy matrimony you are blessed with, Glynn!

Joyce said...

I particularly love the commitment to be there for better or worse in the marriage ceremony..married life is generally full of both.

You've written something really beautiful today.

katdish said...

What a beautiful, wonderful tribute. This blessed me today. Thank you, Glynn.

Fatha Frank said...

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Can I steal it next Valentine's Day?

Missy K said...

This is so very lovely, and yet so grounded in the real of life. Thank you for sharing this.

Billy Coffey said...

This one brought tears, Glynn. And that's not an easy thing to do.

Anonymous said...

So eloquently written. This really touched me, Glynn. Thank you!

Unknown said...

An awesome "window"...thanks for sharing and allowing us to peek through it.
Peace,
Jay

JoAnne said...

Gynn, I liked how you defined the vow, "Through sickness and health, richer and poorer...as meant, intended, designed and lived to be eternal that you and your wife will be there for each other." Sometimes it can be such empty words even in the beginning of relationships. We need to hear more love stories. Thanks always for your encouraging words!

Kevin said...

Awesome poem Glynn! Very powerful!

Anonymous said...

Wow -- you truly have a gift for capturing the essence of deep feeling without the slightest hint of cliche. Thanks for sharing.

Candy said...

What a blessed woman your wife is, Glynn. This is so moving. Did she cry? I did.

Anne Lang Bundy said...

Lord, thank You for the testimony of this marriage to You. Thank You for giving Glynn the boldness to share it. Thank You for giving Janet the faithfulness to live it.

Jennifer @ JenniferDukesLee.com said...

I had the same thought as Bonnie ... When I read it, I could have just as easily thought this was about God. I'm guessing, in effect, it is about both of them. Your wife, yes,
and this God who lives
within her.

Jeff Jordan said...

A special woman for sure...and man.
Jeff

Anonymous said...

It is a joy to read about your marriage. :)

Laura said...

Your love makes loving sweeter. So beautiful, Glynn.

Monica Sharman said...

What honor and love you show.