The Story of Us

I'm not sure what blogging protocol is, but I'm now a faithful reader of CaliValleyGirl's blog, and I saw today that she did two blogs in a day, so I guess it is all right for me to do so. I'm glad, because there are two totally different things I want to blog about tonight.

Today was a pretty long day. Monday mornings are always a bit tougher, because hey, it's Monday! After a fun day at school-they are always fun, my students are amazing-I had to stay late. It was my night to supervise a Senior Girls' basketball game. It's good for me to do these things, because otherwise it is sometimes hard for me to make myself stay and watch games. I do have a 45 minute to 1 hour commute home each night...on GOOD traffic days! Anyways...

I had about three hours to kill after school. I was marking the tests that I had fallen behind on, but whenever I have to stay late like that, I like to bring in a movie to put on in the background. It's always one that I have watched a million times, so I don't really have to pay attention. Tonight, I chose "The Story of Us."

Maybe you know this film...it is from 1999 and the stars are Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeifer. It is the story of a couple that has been married for many years. They have two kids, and their marriage is basically falling apart. They feel totally distanced, as if they no longer have anything in common. Once the kids head off to camp for the summer, they separate...for good, they think. They go through the summer telling us their story of how they came to be at the point they find themselves at. They have decided that they will tell their kids they are getting a divorce after they pick them up from summer camp. Next, comes my favourite part of the movie.

The characters played by Michelle and Bruce are in their car driving to pick up the kids. She looks at him and suddenly we are watching a sort of tribute to their lives together. She is going through all of these flashbacks in her mind of the thousands of moments they have spent together over the years-births, deaths, loving moments, fights, jokes, and tears-they all flash through her mind. They pick up the kids and she says, "I choose Chow Fun's." Only her husband could know what this means, but it means that she is choosing them. The speech that she gives is amazing, and it is the reason that this is one of my favourite movies. She talks about how marriage isn't always easy, but that they have a history, they are an "us."

I loved this movie the first time I saw it, and I wasn't even dating Kevin. A lot of people didn't like it, but I loved it for the fact that they don't just give up! They choose not to take the easy way out. We haven't and probably won't have the kind of blow outs that they have, because neither of us are yellers, but I thought one theme rang true in this movie...marriage is not always easy, but for us, there are more ups than downs. It's not something that you give up on just because it is hard. I think that the tough moments make it that much better.

We have only been married for a year and a half but already we have SO MANY MOMENTS together. I can't wait for all of the millions of moments we have yet to experience together. Marriage is definitely a gift, and one that I cherish. Thanks, Kev, being married to you has been the best experience of my life!