For Better or Worse

Today is Eric and my 8th wedding anniversary...or is it "Eric's and my"?  Okay, today is our 8th wedding anniversary! Haha.  

In Sunday school this week, we watched a video on family and marriage, and they interviewed a bunch of couples.  One of the questions they asked was "Did you know what you were saying yes to when you got married?".   The question was answered with a smile and a resounding "No" by most couples.  I was actually reflecting on the same thing last year on our anniversary.  Though we wholeheartedly meant our vows when we said them and went into our marriage knowing that not every day would be puppies and rainbows, we had no idea what the years would bring us.  I never would have guessed that in five years, we would go from this:

to this:

(By the way, both were unusually gorgeous days, Pittsburgh weather-wise!)

I hesitate in categorizing Joy's life as "worse," as there was definitely good that came out of her short existence, but I also feel pretty safe in saying that it's hard to categorize the death of a child as "better."   [Of course, I'm not suggesting that we're the only ones to experience the "worse" part of "for better or for worse."  Just thinking of a close circle of friends, I can think or couples who have faced infertility, cancer, the death of a parent, and a devastating house fire.  I'm sure none of those couples stood at the altar and imagined those difficulties in the first decade of marriage.]

Though we had no idea what the future held when we said "I do," I'm glad that Eric has been the one to walk with me through this.  I've read that men and women tend to grieve quite differently, and that has been true for us.  Of course, our journey has not been without its bumps, but I think we have complemented each other well as we have processed our loss.  I tend to be more introspective and quiet (though this blog certainly implies otherwise!) while Eric is able to compartmentalize things (in a good way!) and is much more willing to engage others in discussion about our situation.    He truly was a solid rock for me as I dealt with the daily reality of carrying a child that we knew would not live.  Most importantly, his firm conviction of and reliance upon God's sovereignty even in the midst of our difficult situation helped me to cling to those same truths even when they didn't match my emotional state at the time. 

So, happy anniversary, my dear. I have no idea what other "better and worse"s (wow, this post is full of questionable grammar!) our future will bring, but I'm glad we will weather them together.