Always Remember Us This Way

Mama Kat’s -Pretty Much World Famous- Writing Prompts is a part of her Writer’s Workshop… another of those things that I’d left behind when I went off on one of my tangents. Now, I’m back at it because writing is a pleasure and a release for me. So I bring to you this week’s chosen writing prompt… #2. “Take a line from a song you love and turn it into the title of your next blog post. Let the content follow.” As in the YouTube Video above, I chose the song, “Always Remember Us This Way” by Gaga.

That SK Jersey you were wearing the night I first met you at Bobbi’s apartment on North Iowa.

Telling Spenner if I ever left the guy I was with it wouldn’t be for you.

You calling me “the answering machine” each time you came to pick up the VP for lunch at the Washington Cafe.

Seeing you on the four lanes and flipping you off.

Asking you to help me, and you telling me it would cost me a case. You jerking the chain all the way back to the HiHo ranch, turning around and laughing at me.

The party. You and the others playing Euchre. Or was it spades? Me sober. You not so much. You staying the night. Us not sleeping. You promising to come back for lunch. Me not believing you. You proving me wrong and having to eat frozen pizza because you showed up.

The rehearsal. The wedding. The drive away from everyone and everything we’d ever known.

Poking you in the eye on the highway in the pitch black when we were trying to find the next duty station.

Living for letters and phone calls that were too many days apart.

Trying to save the neighbor lady from her abusive husband. Rescuing the twins from their irresponsible parents.

Dancing at Patty’s on Little Creek Boulevard.

Pup’s on the regular.

Nearly giving it all up, then taking it back.

The send offs. The homecomings. The awkward reunions.

Growing together. Fighting together. Figuring it all out together.

Being separated. Being together. Being headstrong and determined – never needing you. Always wanting you.

Trying and trying to accomplish the impossible dream.

Setting you free and watching you stand.

Your stubborn attitude.

My wild ideas.

Looking into your eyes and knowing.

Fishing trips on the bay. Church without you.

Tattoos and piercings. Dodge Rams with V-10 Engines and Bubba Hyde.

You laughing at guys that fell down because their pants were sagging and me wanting to go back and make sure they were alright.

Moving again.

War.

Laughing and Singing as we drove thousands of miles to go nowhere.

Four wheelers and country living.

Adoption classes and visitations.

Broken hearts.

Being the poorest people in our neighborhood. Our redneckedness never embarrassed us.

Trying one more time.

The way you refused to believe me when I told you I was pregnant. Both times.

Moving home.

Church with you.

Your desire to share the magic of Christmas with our kids. And me being the lenient one.

Hat backwards.

One thousand trail cam pictures on my external hard drive that pop up in my daily memory feed along with pictures of our babies and relatives we miss dearly.

Maui

Doing what we know is right when the whole world thinks we’re crazy.

IHOP Date nights. Sausage gravy over biscuit breakfasts that have sometimes become suppers.

Fighting the world together. Back-to-back, arm in arm and without fear or reservation. We stood side by side through the worst and the best moments of our lives, even when the only way to do that was through handwritten letters that took five weeks to arrive. Always Together.

You are the sense to my silly, the stable to my sideways; you’re the beginning to my end and the maker of the way for all the crazy ideas I come up with. You’re the discipline to my desire and the loyal to my longings. You make everything make sense, and I could not ever imagine my life turning out any other way than me beside you.

We are the perfect balance, the most equal partnership, the most vibrant lovers, and the best of friends. I’ll always remember us this way.