Urban Onramps

I just got off the phone with Kafi. She called me because she found a piece of electronic equipment in the trash at home and wanted to alert me. I got the call as I was in the check-in line at the American Airlines Terminal at LAX. My love for my wife is not because she called me about tech, but just because a good woman is hard to find. My life is totally enriched because Kafi is in my life. It’s true, newlyweds, that the romance changes after a couple of years of marriage. Kafi and I are coming up on 14 years (in August) and yes, you’ve gotta work at keeping the romantic fires burning. But there is something wonderful about a relationship where the person you are with loves you, thinks about you, can anticipate things about you, and is a decent person underneath all that. I’m very glad that Kafi is the one who nurtures and co-raises and shapes my children. It’s such a privilege for all of us to be shaped and formed and influenced by her. She’s got a love for God that is palpable, overt, and primary. She has a passion for children. She is an educator through and through. But she’s also a learner. You can talk to her and convince her that something is different from what she thinks. Now, both of us can be stubborn, and in that respect we found each other. Like attracted like, I guess. And we wonder why our kids can be stubborn, Samuel, Micah (who exhibits mild diva-like tendencies, but also a tender repentant heart when corrected), and Gabrielle - well, Gaby already has a strong streak in her. I say good all around. Anyway, got a ramble going on here. But I appreciate my wife, and I hope to be the great husband she deserves.

UPDATE: I re-read this post and thought about Sam. Sam’s stubbornness helped him fight the cancer. This guy endured tremendous hardship. We have a sense for how much he endured because, now that he’s done with chemo, the smallest medical treatment induces howls of pain and pure drama. I think, “Dude, you’ve handled much, much worse.” He really did, he really handled it like a champ, and so now he’s forgiven for falling apart at the mildest treatment (the other night he got pencil lead stuck under the skin on his cheek, so we had a nurse gently pick at it. Sam should have won an Academy Award for the drama, you would have thought the Lakers had lost to the Celtics all over again (sorry, fellow Laker fans, I had to pour more salt on the wound; I’m hoping it’s cathartic to do so.)

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 8:46 pm.