Epiphany

e⋅piph⋅a⋅ny noun, plural -nies.
1. a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.

It's amazing how one can learn new things about each other after 28 years of marriage (and 4 years of dating.)

It happened on a Sunday last month. We were preparing to go to our Sunday School picnic, church service and pot luck in the park, with swimming planned afterward. As we got ready, and the girls were told to get their swim suits and towels, Husband pointed out that maybe it would be too cold to swim.

As I stood at the kitchen counter, heading up the campaign to get everything and everyone into the car and to the park on time, I immediately felt irritation at this declaration. The kids were looking forward to swimming! In the next second, I was stunned to have a new thought enter my mind: "I think he is being negative, and he thinks he is just being practical."

I am the "yes" (wo)man in our marriage, and Husband is the "No" man. I'm always thinking, "Why not?" Let's just say, that's not always my husband's first thought process. That morning, I realized I had been seeing his aim in the wrong way.

Darn. How can I love someone so much and live with him so long, and misinterpret him so easily? I guess it's the human condition. I hope I can continue to see him more clearly in our continued life together.