three::newlywed::relationship

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before you get married you are told a million pieces of advice. some it helpful, some of it not so helpful. the best piece we received is to keep dating your spouse. besides the things you now have to do together, eating, sleeping, sharing chores, carve out time to just enjoy being together. because we're trying to save our pennies we've been finding new and creative ways to 'date' for free...

it's been warm here in london, this weekend was a little gift, we know that very soon the skies will darken, and the wind will blow and rain will fall. and this city will be transformed into its winter-self. some call it dreary. depressing. but it has a charm. but this weekend was the epitome of what many would call an 'indian summer.' warm, very warm during the day. nights that were warm *enough* for lingering outside, eating dinner on the terrace by candlelight. savoring these moments was top on the agenda. in london, one is never very far from a park. near us, there are many, some which have herds of deer.

it was a quiet morning. we woke before dawn and debated for a few minutes if we really wanted to go. freshly baked english muffins with lashings of butter and strong coffee made us more sure. the morning was crisp, even if it was to make a high of 30, it was an autumn morning. dawn was breaking. we both commented on what a special time of day the very early morning is. cars still on the street. the sounds of children in the park yet to begin. dog walkers not even on the pavement. 

the sun rose just as we entered the park. it seemed as though the morning had been made just for us. the open windows allowed for the cool morning air to stream through. and then suddenly, there it was, rising up to greet the day, announcing it was morning. 

 the stags were making their presence known, as we began to walk we could hear their calls to 'rut' (mate.) and then, there he was. striding purposefully along the edge of the forest - calling out to the deer he knew were across the road. 

there are signs of creation all around us. in the midst of a great, sprawling metropolis with 747s screaming overhead as they land at heathrow. the birds that remind me always and ever of home. 

there is beauty all around, if we only look for it. 

and it seemed as if time had temporarily stood still. the misty morning, everything aglow, holding the promise and beauty of the day. creation resounding in its praise for the maker. 

there is surprising beauty. spiders webs encrusted with diamonds of dew, glittering in the new light.  the freshness of the day. the quiet moments we shared as we marveled at all that was around us.

 

 

marriage brings a number of new and exciting moments. on sunday, as we watched the world wake up, as we stood in the silence of the space that hangs between evening and daybreak, as the deer were doing what they have done every autumn, as we prayed on a bench overlooking a small pond, i marveled at the man i've been given. and i went on a date before sunrise.