My Blue Skies

Port Hueneme California 12/26/2004

 
  It was a perfect December winter day in southern California. The kind of day that you could only wish for this time of year.

The sun was shinning bright. The sand was warm as we walked on the beach. There was not a cloud in the sky that day and the air was still. We watched the sun set in the flawless sky, silhouetting the Channel Islands in the soft evening ocean haze.

This was the spot. We were on the beach in Port Hueneme. This is where I would marry Melanie.

Unfortunately, it was not this day that we would exchange our vows. The plan was that 24 hours later, we would return to this spot, with a small group of family and friends, to be wed.

  What a difference a day makes. As we left the hotel late in the afternoon the following day, less than a mile from the beach, the winds picked up and huge black clouds rolled in. The sky's darkened. Lightning appeared on the horizon and glanced off the ocean. The seas were stormy, rough, and riddled with white caps. Waves of white foam crashed upon the shore in a thundering stampede; This was our wedding day. It was clear that the gods were angry. Due to the rapidly declining weather, we made a last minute change and decided to gather in a gazebo to preform the nuptials instead of the beach, as if this meager structure of posts, beams, and palm trees would some how offer a bit of protection from the elements.

Our wedding day;
December 27th, 2004

 We took our places surrounded by our loved ones, standing in front of my brother, Friar Gooch. As Gooch began to speak, the wind became stronger. Palm fronds vibrated and flapped violently overhead, as pieces of palm husk blew past us through the gazebo. Large rain drops began falling and blowing sideways. Now, at this point, had I been a superstitious person, I would have turned and ran. "Save yourself!" echoed through my head as my heart began to race. "This must be sign!" I thought. I am sure Melanie was thinking the same thing, however, we stood our ground and survived the initial onslaught of Mother Natures wrath. We exchanged vows and became husband and wife. As if to mock Mother Nature and her attempt to thwart off our matrimonial union, we all raced to the water and embraced the power of the elements.

The torrential downpour that followed over the next few days caused massive flooding and power outages. El Nino had shown his face in a fury not seen in recent decades.
  Our spirits were not dampened and in a couple days, we headed to Ensenada, Baja California, for little honeymoon with Gooch, his friend Zoe, Ian, Aden, and our newest furry little friend Diego, all in tow.
  This was the start of our married life together: December 27th, 2004. There are many metaphors that we can draw on from this experience as compared to our seven years of marriage. I am typically a "glass half full" kind of person, so the parallels I have made tend to be positive. As Melanie and I have made many plans for our life together, there are few that have come to fruition in the manner we had planned. We have weathered many storms together. Faced many rough seas. We planned for sunny skies but found stormy ones instead.

We adapted. We found triumph in the face of adversity. Found joy in times of sorry. We found new life born from the ashes of death. We take our blue skies when we can get them, cherish them, rejoice in them and draw on their strength as they depart from us to make way for the new wave of storm clouds. Our resolve has remained strong, our bond strengthened and our love and respect for one another has increased with each storm we have conquered.
  These seven years have brought us many surprises. The biggest and best were Apollo and Orion; how they have blessed our lives and become the glue that binds us. I could not have foreseen them or the many twists and turns we have encountered along the way which brought them into our lives, yet it feels as if these two little ones have always been here and have always been part of us.

   If  I have learned one lesson in seven years of marriage, it is that we are survivors; that we will overcome and conquer. I know I can count on Melanie to be by my side, to follow my lead, or to take the lead when needed. For this I am grateful. I am surrounded by love and this family of mine is my blue skies.