Love Bumps

I was running late again this morning. Our church meetings used to start at 9 AM, and now they start at 11:30 AM and still, I was running late. Between the time we walked out the door of our apartment and got into the car, I was upset and we were sitting in silence.

These aren't the moments that I usually blog about.

These aren't the moments that usually come up in conversation or that you describe to your starry-eyed, soon to be married, friends.

By the time we were singing the 2nd verse of a hymn, I was now a little emotional and a few tears may have found their way down my cheek and splattered on my pink skirt.

And that is the time when I felt my husband's arm go around my shoulders. Then, I whispered, "I'm sorry," and he whispered it back.

I said, "We will make everything right again?"

And he said, "Of course. We always do."

He kissed my forehead and we held hands for the rest of the meeting.

I know we will laugh about what happened on the way to church later, because it really was small and ridiculous.

I used to think of these little incidents as "love bumps." Things that got in our way on the way to "happily ever after." Now I realize that without these little incidents, I wouldn't know how strong my marriage really was.

There is something sweet, and reassuring, and love-affirming about the words "I'm sorry" and "I love you."

We have our imperfections. I am so happy that I married someone who is so steady, patient and supportive. And he married someone who, well, is not patient...but is working on it. But who loves him passionately.

We fit perfectly together. I remembered that today.