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| Us, on October 20, 2001 |
Initially, I just thought it would be fun to talk about and share some wedding photos. But then, that lead to a multi part story about Our Wedding....
Craig and I met about ten years before we actually got married in 2001. Craig would show up every now and then at my church as a visitor, that's where I met him. We exchanged niceties but, nothing
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| Craig, long before I knew him! |
Stalker!?
After two or three dinner invitations, making him some sort of strange healthy pizza, I remember considering the idea of him and I being married. We never once discussed or even hinted at anything like that.
Not wanting to give up too easily, when I found out he had a gym membership, in spite of my muscle weakness, I joined the gym too! Yes there were accessible equipment pieces that he could use, but due to my limited muscle function, I could only use the arm ergometer on my own. Imagine signing up for a whole one year membership for one piece of equipment and oh, ya...right, and for the possibility of finding out if Craig "liked" me or not!
It was all worth it, I needed to know for sure. I was interested in him, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how he felt. So I would try to figure out when he would be at the gym, peek around corners, look past doors and then when found, in a nonchalant, "fancy meeting you here," kind of way, we'd greet each other and he'd shower me with an abundance of kind words. What girl wouldn't like that! I even signed up to volunteer at a local hospital, for the very same position that he had already had for about ten years. Yes, I kind of stalked him.
A Mail Man Is A Person In Your Neighbourhood!
One of Craigs' strongest traits has always been his whole, opposite of shy manner. It is what made him a great mail man! No, I didn't know him when he was he delivering mail, but I remember Sesame Street really well, when they had the song segment, "Who are the people in your neighbourhood?.... A Postman is the person in your neighbourhood...In your neighbourhood, in your, neigh-bour-hood...yes, who...."
Watch That Song Here!
That's the song that comes to mind when I picture Craig as a Mail Man. Friendly, smiling bearded face, talking to every person he 'd meet. Yes, Craig even sang as he glided up and down people's yards placing mail into their hungry mailboxes. He told me today that he also use to play games with the children on his route, trying to make them laugh and giggle. He could hear their wee voices saying, "Hi Mailman!" And he would respond sometimes with, "Hey, I hear a little bird, a little bird is talking to me!" There were the times, when he would jump through water sprinklers with them, clothes and all! As well as asking the kids on occasion, to hose him down on those really hot days!
Then there were the times he made mooing cow sounds for some, and at times, he would pretend that some kids were invisible, just goofing around with them. One memorable moment, he remembers really well was a young lad who would wait for him every weekday morning, with a cookie in hand, just for the mailman! Perhaps that is why years later, he told me that cookies are messages of love! Naw, that was most likely because his mom was a great baker of cookies and pies!
It was his bold friendliness and sweet talk, that started to win my heart over.
Mr. Right
As the weeks went by, we would talk occasionally on the phone, but, it started to become clear to me that he just said nice things to all the ladies! Starting to prepare my heart to give up the hope of Craig responding to my signals, I even began to wonder if he was too old for me. (Sorry Craig, you know all that.) I didn't know his age at the time. I was about 31 years old.
As well, practically and selfishly speaking, I actually did wonder if marrying a fellow who used wheels for legs like me, would work out well. Those thoughts are not something I ever thought I would have and I am ashamed that I had them. It even sounds strange saying that out "loud," for all too read, but it is the truth, it was what I wondered back then.
My whole life, I had wanted to be married. I envisioned that my husband wouldn't just love me as his wife, but also be the main provider of my personal care, and then I selfishly, wouldn't need my own Personal Care Attendants at all or as often. When someone comes into your home morning and night, decade after decade, it is tempting to consider real privacy and going to bed or getting up when ever you want to. Selfish, I know. But it is what was in my head at the time.
Craig and I talked about that consideration a long time ago and even though initially, I would be mortified if someone thought the way I did, we realized it isn't "abnormal" to wonder something like that. In no way does it mean you love the person less or are you judging them because of their disability. I would say in my case, it was more because of my disability.
In fact Craig told me that once we got married, a friend of our's who acquired his disability because of a motorcycle accident, told Craig that thanks to our marriage, he knew it was okay to marry his girlfriend. Before that, he said he didn't know if marrying his girlfriend could work because they both live with physical disabilities. Needless to say, unbeknownst to us, he was encouraged by our marriage and did the same thing! Little did we know...What a wonderful thing that is!
We Know How The Story Ends..
Boy did God have a plan beyond my wildest dreams. But for now, I will end part one here.....
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