The Unbroken Mirror

Hello dear readers!

Seven is a number that looms large throughout the human psyche, reverberating through folklore, suspicion, and culture both popular, and not so popular.

There’s The Seven Dwarves, The Magnificent Seven, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, The Seven Samurai, seven deadly sins, and even seven golden virtues.

It crops up, again and again and again, and I guess that makes the subject of this blog one that contributes to the phenomenon because this time next week will see myself and my wife, Tina, celebrate out wedding anniversary.

I’ll let you guess how many years it’s been.

To Have And to Hold

Yes, alright, it’s not that difficult to work out really, is it? The 28^th of July will indeed see us mark seven years of marital bliss though, and hasn’t it just been the ride of a lifetime.

Every relationship has it’s challenges, and ours is no different. There have been ups, there have been downs, and even a few looping the loops and defying the grounds. I’m not just talking about the odd cross word, the occasional flare of temper that quickly subsides into nagging guilt, or even those times when Tina point blank refuses to believe I’m right, despite the overwhelming evidence I’m not.

No, I mean the ‘interesting times’ that we’ve experienced in those years of of romantic entwinement, times that have tested us, tested us a bit more, and then really put us to the test.

In Sickness And In Health

I’m talking about the time spent in hospital after my bladder nearly exploded, Tina’s kidney stones, that saw her hospitalised, released, pass out from pain, and quickly get readmitted. I’m talking about her functional stroke that led to me changing plans from picking her up from work, to going to visit her in hospital (you might catch a theme here), and finally (we hope) there was my hospitalisation, after visual disturbances, of two years ago, that turned out to be my diagnosis relapse of MS. That’s four years out of seven seeing one or the other of us spend time on a hospital ward. The score is two-two, going into extra time, but I think the MS thing might just put me ahead, on points, or something.

So, yes, the one thing that we cannot complain about is a lack of eventfulness in our married life. When you add in things like buying our very own house and having it ruined by the council, four jobs for me (blame the MS… in part at least), and three for Tina, making a round seven in total, then boring it has not been.

For Better Or Worse

Luckily though there has been one constant throughout these tumultuous, ever changing times. Something that I think has helped both of us face these challenges and come out even stronger on the other side, and that’s having another person so strongly in your corner.

We both have really solid, reliable support networks. Good, loyal friends, and frankly exceptional families stand by us both, and are always there when the need arises. As important as those people are however the don’t, they can’t, compare with having the strength, and support of a partner, a true other half, to fall back on. That’s what Tina gives to me, and it’s what I hope, at least, to give to her.

It’s what makes us stronger together, and I think it’s what has made it possible to endure the crucible of events the last seven years has thrown us in. Where it has proven difficult for one of us, the other has proved strong and true, dragging us both through seeming disasters with the promise of something worthwhile on the other side. Life has had to become a little different for us, it’s true, and after my last diagnosis we sort of traded roles in a way. I’m now a house-husband of sorts, and am trying my hand at writing, Tina has a shiny new job, which she seems ideally suited for, is extremely happy in, and which helps immensely with covering the bills. It’s taken some adjustment but I think we’ve reached at least a way-point on the route to that magical other side.

 For Richer Or Poorer

And of course it hasn’t all been bad, as melodramatic as I might make it sound. It couldn’t have been, not with that lady by my side. We’ve had fun. Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, and the exotic climes of Cornwall. We’ve had memorable meals, days in London, and no less than two concerts. I think the bad times make these good times (among others) shine even brighter in the memory, and it’s definitely what I prefer to concentrate on.

So there you have it. The story of seven years. Seven years, that have nothing to do with breaking mirrors and the accompanying superstitions of bad luck, but seem more like a magnificently lucky seven. The story doesn’t stop there either, because this lucky seven is going to lead to another one, and another; the luck never has to run out, not if we don’t want it to.

Now what goes with eight?

Until next time.