Day 3: 25 Giant Steps

This morning we walked along the beach. I woke up to Micky sitting by the window and whimpering while he watched the waves. He's smart and he knows how to play us. After half an hour of whining and dog grumbles, we leashed him up and began the 25 giant steps from our front door. It's high tide and the waves just barrel into our 150 yard inlet. I'm bundled in my warmest winter coat (Rich calls it my weather-girl coat because it's similar to the kind the weathermen wear on television... during blizzards )and my morning hair is sticking in all kinds of directions. There's an electricity to the air- a thunder from water smashing on rock and I'm brilliantly aware of how much I love this place. It's been two weeks since I've managed these few steps. This morning, staring into the glare of morning light, I remembered living in Oregon and how we used to dream about the Maine Coast. Rich and I could spend an hour talking about walking along Perkin's Cove or taking weekend explorations through Acadia. We counted down the days until our return to the East Coast and it's been 14 days since I've managed these 25 steps. Why is it that the closer we are to the things we love- to the people we love- the less we bother to get up and show our love?

Am I just lazy, or is it the idea of the ocean that is more appealing than the ocean itself, because let's be honest- the beach is a mess. It's sandy and salty and all kinds of sticky. It cakes to the floor of your kitchen and sticks to your towels. Coastal Living is way nicer from 2000 miles away, when you don't have to put on a weathergirl coat to experience it. But to feel the morning sun as it hits waves that thunder so loud your dog can't hear you calling him. There's nothing like it in the world.

Maybe marriage is the same way. The idea of it is incredibly romantic and appealing and we can talk about it for hours. But the work of it- the morning-hair-stealing-all-the-covers-forgot-to-pay-a-bill-this-month reality of marriage is incredibly messy. But it's worth it, and I don't want to wait another 14 days to walk those 25 steps. I want to be in it now, and get messy now. Because to experience the faithfulness and commitment of another, there's nothing like it in the world.