Honeymoon is over before it began

I know marriage, especially the first year, isn't supposed to be easy. Around the age twenty, I left behind the "happily ever after, end of story" illusion that some (if not most) females harbor.

But my goodness, I believe we have already gone through more trying times than most three-week-old marriages due to things out of our control. Indeed, we are strong. But...

I have some moderately serious semi-mystery ailment and Doug darn near totaled his car this past weekend.

And yet, it always seems that when life is going less than perfect (though I certainly would not consider life "tough" by any means yet), the powers that be always seem to sprinkle something very happy in the midst of the downtime. This instance, it was from my past life as a teacher. I received this email:

Rachel -

I'm not sure if you'll remember me but I taught with you at Westwood Elementary. I taught (and still teach) 5th grade. Red hair....come on, you know! Shawn Exxxxxx.....

One of your former students is in my class this year, Juan Xxxx. He was a total pill when you had him, and has made such spectacular progress that he is actually speaking at tonight's graduation. His time with you really made an impact on him, and his insight as to how he treated you and how unfair it was has been really something that has changed who he is.

He wrote you a letter and I want to send it to you - I let him type it so I'll just attach it.

If you want to reply back to me I will print your response (sans email address!) and show it to him.

Anyhow, I hope this is you and I hope this really makes your day.

God bless,

shawn

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Ms. Harden


How are you doing, you may not remember me, or you may have from some bad memories in 3rd grade BUT I want to tell you how I have changed from my past being in your class, my name is Juan Xxxx I am in 5th grade.

During my summer break after 3rd grade, I thought about how I had treated you. I thought to my self how can I treat a very nice teacher that did not deserve what I gave her in 3rd grade. Being in 3rd grade with you changed me. From that day on I never been mean to a teacher again and I have made it to where I am now in 5th grade about to graduate and I have been asked to make a speech about how I have changed.

Sincerely,

Juan Xxxx

It did indeed make my day.

Honemoon starts tomorrow! No cell phone (well not one turned ON anyway), no iPod, no laptop, no email. Just me, Doug, and the Pacific Coast Highway.

I'll be back on the 31^st. And then we can deal with antibiotics and a nearly totaled car.

Followup: turns out, all I need to do was blog about the missing marriage license for it to magically appear in our mailbox the same day. Some goof at the courthouse signed/processed the license but forgot to enter the information into the computer system. I had to call and have her manually enter the information into the system. It's slightly scary to think about what might have happened had I not checked it online. The record they would have would gone something like "they applied for a marriage license and never got married." I'm sure that would look fantastic to the descendants who want to look up geneology stuff in the future.