Whew!

Our overnight guest ended up needing to stay a second night.

We were happy to have him. Truly. But not having a guest room made it a bit awkward. And it rained almost all day yesterday, so everyone was stuck inside. Plus, I hadn't planned any good, big meal for the second night. But it ended up working out. And he just left a few minutes ago.

As I mentioned earlier, he's going through a custody battle for his children. That, and his divorce, was all he talked about. Their plans. What they were supposed to be doing with their lives now. The trouble his children were having. The way they were put in the middle of this mess.

The hurt and anguish were tangible.

Mike and I have been through a lot over the years. Who hasn't that has been married 20 years? There have been times, many years ago, that I've wanted to throw in the towel. And times that he has wanted to do the same thing. Luckily, we've never both wanted to do so at the same time.
Seeing this hurt, up close and personal, has done nothing but reinforce my belief that marriage is sacred. It doesn't scar me or make me feel bitter when I hear his (or other) stories. It makes my heart swell with gratefulness.

Because as hard as the hard times were (and trust me, we've had some hard times), they were nothing compared to the bond that we have as a family.

I thank God that He has given us the fortitude to stick with one another through good and bad, richer and poorer, sickness and health.

Because we still have our family. And what could be sweeter?