seventeen

Ah, a lovely age to experience adolescent angst,
but this isn't about the teenage years.

For me, those memories are complicated and chaotic;
therefore, I will save that for later.

This, however, is about how many years I've managed to remain married,
to the same guy:

The wonderful, incredible, always brilliant Pos!

[BEWARE: it's the "love bandits", circa 1991]

This yearly milestone is an incredible tribute to
tenacity,
deep affection,
mutual respect,
open-mindedness,
flexibility,
shared goals,
and shared perspectives.


Because when we started out
we started out with some not-so-good role models,
preceding us.

And that reality,
I think,
made things pretty tough,
to navigate
the early rough waters
of minor martial discord.

Between the two of us
we've experienced three divorces,
and five different marriages.
Not on our own --
but through our collective sets of parents.

And so far ...
we've worked hard,
not to continue
that family tradition.

And we still have many, many years ahead
to keep working hard.

So every year
when Punxsutawny Phil
[AKA "the Groundhog"]
takes a peep outside
for a possible glimpse of his shadow,
I gladly anticipate
not six more weeks of winter
or even the arrival of an early spring,
but minutes, moments
days and weeks
of continued martial harmony
and bliss.