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Emily: An Ode to Three Years

Emily: An Ode to Three Years

Last updated on: August 13, 2014 at 1:58 pm by Jeff Hood

Emily: An Ode to Three Years 2014-08-13T13:58:02-06:00 Jeff Hood

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I don’t know how much it cost me to set up an account on eHarmony. I just know I got my money’s worth and then some.

“We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout…” I can think of no better words to describe the origin of our relationship than the opening lines of Johnny and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson.” We knew each other all of two months. From family to friends, everybody thought we were crazy. I guess we were. I guess we are.

Three years ago today, I will never forget holding your hand on the beach of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Words of love and dedication filled the air. The pictures illustrate how beautiful the landscape was for a wedding. I don’t remember the hues. I only remember you.

The operating room felt like a science laboratory. We were scared. I prayed aloud. You pushed and screamed. Jeff came first. Phillip came thirteen minutes later. You held my hand. We held their hands.

We moved across the country to forge a new life in Texas. I never wanted to move here. I was convinced it was going to be far worse than Mississippi. You knew I was nervous. You held my hand.

The living room is an interesting place for a baby to be born. We jumped in the pool together. I held your hands as you pushed. Quinley came next. I will never forget the fierceness of your love in those moments. We held his little hand.

“There’s two of them!” We were shocked. “Five under the age of three???” You reached for my hand. I didn’t need anything else for joy to replace my fear.

I have long proclaimed a belief that God is love. I didn’t know what that meant until I met you.

I conclude with the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazov, ” Love is such a priceless treasure that you can redeem the whole world by it, and cleanse not only your own sins but the sins of others.”

May God continue to make it true in us.

Amen.

Pictures Below:

The Brothers Karamazov

The Hoods

Twins

Vieques

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