It began with a wedding invitation.
Not the invitation itself, but a secondary invitation to take part in the wedding by speaking about 'marriage'.
What would I know? I've only been married 36 years. We've been a couple for 41. I should have a list as long as my arm about the beauty, struggles, and expectations of a successful relationship. In fact, I do.
For example:
What should one expect from marriage? My list is long, really long. The good stuff, like honesty, fidelity, understanding, patience, and support. (Just scratching the surface, but you get my drift.)
There is another list of less pleasant expectations. Because a life together comes with some monumental decisions, like career choices and whether to move, pay off a loan, or buy a new car. Marriage can be mundane, too. Decorating a home. Deciding what's for dinner, or where to plant that tree you received as a wedding gift? Ahem.
Which brings me to what one should not expect. Namely, total agreement on everything. It's unrealistic, and, honestly, boring. We are all individuals, after all. And over time, decades really, as we settle into that happy medium, the disagreements become less contentious. Perhaps because of the first list of expectations. The patience, honesty, understanding, and support mentioned above.
It's a privilege to be asked to participate in a wedding of two beautiful people who mean so much to us, but in writing the speech, which I've poached to some extent for this blog post, I've uncovered a hidden plot point in my next novel. It has been there all along, but now I see it clearly.
The protagonist has no healthy relationships to dwell on as she navigates a difficult path through her own problematic life. She's alone. She's broken. That's kind of the point of the novel. I need to fix her. Part of that solution lies in my insightful words above. God, I hope you think they're insightful, because I do. My protagonist needs a role model, and I have just the couple for the job. Enter our old friends from SPIRIT, Lucy and Eli.
My self-imposed deadline just took a hit. But it will be worth the wait, and I'm so excited!
Stay tuned.
