Twenty-two Years with Nate - Poem

Twenty-two Years with Nate

It started on a lark, his search for a buddy,
My what-the-hell, why not. Nothing to lose
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
We met, talked. I knew he was for me.
He didn’t.
Group meetings, dance outings, and then…
The kiss. He knew.

The tests came. Could we trust the connection
To hold?
Evenings with children, camping, sailing lessons,
Dancing classes and Starting Anew.
Nancy and Ross.
We knit two lives into one relationship.
Four lives into one family.

Marriage—a chance to heal wounds and trust.
Learn the art of empowerment, type differences,
Styles of housekeeping, meals to prepare.
We survived our children’s teen years.
Did better than that. Launched three
Competent, loving adults.
New families to celebrate.

Careers completed, faces turned south.
Thoughts of retirement brought overflowing joy.
We uprooted thread by thread, piece by piece.
We brought treasures and memories into
The wet, warm womb of Mississippi.

We did not know the birth of our retired years
Would be so difficult.
We cast away lines to dear ones—father, brothers, cousins.
We nurtured family as it reconfigured.
The young generation emerged. New babies,
New roles.

Cancer wrought another transformation.
My cancer, Nate’s care for me. We learned
Together we are empowered, even facing death.
The wisdom of our bodies led us
To spirits free of bodies.
Through Nate’s care, I am loved.
No longer a rock
He needs the same from me.
These twenty-two years with Nate
Have been a blessing.

Your loving wife,
Sandy B