The night that we all traipsed over to Star's elderly neighbor's house to play with a brand new litter of puppies was the same night Joseph and I stayed up late talking about marriage. More specifically, we were discussing when we should get married. First we thought maybe in 5 years. That sounded reasonable. But why wait that long? How about 3 years? Then we'd both be graduated, and ... that made sense. Right?
I lay awake on the couch after we said goodnight, thinking about how sweet it had been relationshipping with him.
I was remembering that time we went with Kentucky and Rosie to see a favorite band (Flatfoot 56) play in South Carolina. The whole lot of us had gotten there early and killed a few hours wandering around town, and then settling into a parking lot to color and fly kites.
At some point, we had allowed ourselves to get a little too lost in the aroma of a honeysuckle bush. I think it actually came alive and tried to eat Joe.
There was that other time when everyone caravanned all the way to Charlotte for a worship service. Dustin even came and Joe and I rode in the backseat of his car on the way there.
And on the way home, I rode in the bed of a friend's pick up truck with Rosie so that we could sing our everlovin' lungs out and watch the stars. We learned 2 things on that trip. The first was that the bed of a pickup truck in the middle of the night for 3 hours is freezing. The second was that screaming the lyrics to Flatfoot's "Same Ol' Story" all the way home with a dear friend makes possible hypothermia 100% worth it.
I finally dozed off thinking about how sure I was that I wanted us to be together for always. And how we wanted all the same things for our lives.
In the morning, we sat on the porch with Star, sipping coffee and filling her in on our musings.
"You want to wait 3 years?" She arched an eyebrow at us.
"I mean... I guess?" I noncommittally suggested.
"Why?"
That was a good question. Joe and I looked at each other. We didn't know the answer. It seemed like we should wait because... it was more socially acceptable? Well, that wasn't a good reason. We had to wait until we graduated? But why? We were at the same school. Wouldn't it be easier in so many ways if we were married?
Yes. Yes it would.
The more we talked about how practical it would be, and how much we cared for each other, the more we realized that waiting years and years was a ridiculous idea.
Besides, in Scripture, Paul did note clearly that it's better to marry that to burn with passion.
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