Forever Mine -- a post about Eric (sort of)

I know that the title of this blog is "Cancer: my thoughts, our story" -- but really, up until today it has just been more "my thoughts" than "our story." 

So, I just wanted to share a little bit more of "our story" with you.  

Starting with Eric. 

Eric and I met a little over 5 years ago.  He had this really great picture posted on his online profile (yep, we met online) and some sweet sentiments about how he was a single dad with two little girls and he loved to run and do triathlons and lived in Oregon.  Its was pretty much love at first profile viewing.   So, I sent him a message.  Eric would like you to think that I poured my heart out to him and confessed my undying love at that very moment, but that is totally not true.  He responded and we corresponded a few times via the online dating site, at which point I got sort of tired of logging onto the computer and the site every time I wanted to message him, so I told him I wasn't going to be on the site anymore (maybe that was my subtle way of saying I wasn't checking out other guys because I wanted to know more about him....) and I gave him my email and phone number.  Told him he could contact me if he wanted to.  And then I waited. and waited and waited.  forever. 2 weeks about.  Finally one night I got a random text from him asking how I was, and like anyone sane, I waited to respond and a few days later texted him back.  In the course of that texting conversation he asked me if I was ever going to respond to his email.  What email!? He insisted he had emailed me.  I told him to send it again, which he did.  Fast forward a couple of months and a a couple dozen phone calls later.  He was in Utah and we "met" in person and then I turned around and went to Oregon a couple of weeks later.  Fast forward again and after a long distance back and forth relationship over the course of a year we were married on December 29th, 2012 -- You know, before the new year so that we could get a tax break.  (If you want to the know the details of the in between I have them all recorded in my personal journals and if you come visit me I might let you read them.  Might). 

I could go on and on about our backstory. However, the point of this post is not to detail our history as much as to tell you how thankful I am to have Eric by my side on this journey -- to look forward to the journey we have in front of us -- all the way to forever. 

  

But mostly it's because he asked me when I was going to blog about him and also because my mom told me when she was here visiting that I needed to be nicer to him.  

So, for Eric and my mom and anyone else who wants to know.......

Eric is everything good that I am not.  

He is faithful while I doubt.
He is patient while I lose my temper (with him and/or the girls).


He is organized while I can't remember what day it is, let alone what I am supposed to be doing.
He is able to sleep anywhere, anytime while I am up all night long with kids.
(seriously, this guy can sleep anywhere). 

He is a great athlete while I rarely exercise anymore. (although I think I will always be faster than him). 

He is a great dad, always -- while I am pretty much done being a parent by the end of the day.
He has a "refined pallet" (meaning he has refined his tastes to include bbq sauce or ranch dressing  or peanut butter with every meal) while I could do without all three of those things.

He is affectionate while I don't always love to be touched.
He is a great provider while I reap the benefits.
He is his own style while I would prefer an actual this century style.

He is easygoing while I am uptight (I mean....not that I am uptight a lot).
He is a problem solver while I resort to the silent treatment.
He is thoughtful while I can't usually form a thought beyond dinnertime.
He is loving and charitable while I don't always deserve it.

He is able to to laugh at life while I take it too seriously most of the time.
He is a good listener while I ramble talk.
He is handsome while I have thinning hair, a bony body and rashes on my face and hands.

He is nice to me while I am not always nice.
He is able to have a sense of humor while I am too serious.
He is my voice of reason while I am not reasonable most of the time.
He is mine. Forever.

Forever is how long it feels like it has been since I was diagnosed with a terminal cancer.  
Forever is what I think about when I am scared.  
Forever is what we have to look forward too. 
Forever is what I am grateful I have an understanding of.  
Forever is how long I will have my family for.  
Forever isn't easy to wrap your head around, but it brings me hope and comfort. 
Forever is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father, given to all of us. 

Life is so much more than just here and now.  So, while we are trying to take advantage of the today's, we are also very aware of the life after this......and oh so grateful that the Lord has a plan for us that is forever.

If you want to know more about what I believe about forever or the life after this earth life I have included a couple of links below. (or you can always just ask me -- I am always happy to talk about my beliefs and actually interested in yours as well -- even if they are different than my own). To be honest, I wouldn't doubt that most of you reading this, whether you share my same religious beliefs or not, have a similar idea about what forever is, and how you would like to spend it.  

https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation -- Scroll down to the end and it talks about what I believe happens when we die.  Nobody wants to think about dying, but having this perspective and belief gives me great peace and comfort....and the first parts of this page are informative and interesting too.

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng -- This one is one of my favorites as it outlines what I believe about eternal families.  It gives me great comfort that there always has been a plan for families -- it began before this earth life and extends into the hereafter.  (even though really right now all we see or sometimes can wrap our heads around is there here and now)

Families Can Be Together Forever - YouTube -- If you only read/listen to one thing I say....this song is beautifully sung by children and is a simple explanation of what I believe.  Families can be together forever.