Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Happy anniversary.

I met my husband two years ago today. I can’t believe how little of my life that is, yet how much of the big stuff we’ve packed in:





























It seems like only yesterday, and really, it almost was, that I had just started dating R. He lived in a two-bedroom apartment with his cat and an entire wall of books that thrilled me to see. One Sunday morning not too long after we’d started seeing each other, we sat on his couch and drank coffee, listening to Steven Malkmus and paging through one of his architecture books on Richard Neutra’s Palm Springs houses. That’s still one of my favorite memories in my life; I felt like I had stepped straight into my wildest dream of the world’s most attractive man. I mean, really; a brown-haired, well-read, cat-owning architect with good music on his stereo… I was in love.

Not too long after that, because everything about our time together has been compressed, he began coughing a lot. We’d lie in bed at night, and he’d suck these gross Halls cough drops like they were going out of style. Finally, he told me he’d coughed up a little blood that day, and the next day he was in the hospital with a DVT in his calf and seven pulmonary embolisms (emboli? I don’t know) in his lungs. The doctors marveled that he had a large saddle embolus and was still alive; they usually only found those in autopsies. Five days later he was out of the hospital, newly fragile in the way only people who have been broadsided by their own mortality can be, and a few days later we were engaged.

Some people might think it was a little quick to be making that kind of decision on the heels of a medical emergency like that, but I prefer to think it just cemented what we already knew. In fact, driving home from my first date with him, I’d announced giddily to the ether that we were going to get married. Since then we’ve done everything at lightening speed, but it has all felt just right. I still (after all this time) feel like I hit the jackpot.

8 comments:

Libby said...

What a beautiful and important two years, here's to many more. :)

(I just love your ring!)

DerekB said...

Hi Kate, Your story and your family are beautiful!! Congratulations.

PS. Your blog ROCKS!!!!

Melissa C Morris said...

what an adorable family. i love the photos and hope you'll continue to post them.

Mandarina said...

Kate,
Hope you remember me - Pargolo - I just caught up on your blog and I just wanted to say your family is gorgeous - and your story gives me hope that being a picky 33 year old lawyer who sometimes internally despairs that the shining future she hopes for will never come - well, that there is such a thing as a fairytale ending. thank you . lots to report on my end - will try to email soon.

Broady said...

When it's right, it's right. And I love your photo essay.

Kate said...

Thanks for all the nice comments! I am rather fond of the whole scenario as well.

Cindy said...

What a sweet story! Many more happy years to all of you.

Anonymous said...

Hi darling. I'm hiding this comment in the past so that you will get it, but not be easily found by others. I am so thrilled for your news... and I wanted to include you in my bullshit, if you even read it, I dunno. I know Mr. Architect sometimes does... and I'm not sure I have your correct email any more... so here it goes... if you read my blog, the password I've been using is the word TOWEL. If you have time or interest, I'm not trying to put you on the spot to read...
XOXO