A Serendipitous Day

By:  Donna Martin

Mike and I woke up on the morning of the 4^th of July a little tired from staying up late the night before.  We had talked about going to a 4^th of July parade, but neither one of us felt like getting up and getting ready.

“Let’s go ahead and go, “Mike suggested.

“That’s probably a good idea,” I agreed.  “If we don’t we might end up not doing anything all day.”

The road along the parade was crowded with spectators by the time we arrived.  We found a good spot and waited for the entertainment.  Our small town of Gainesville had always had great parades with bands, horses, motorcycles, old cars, floats and much more, so we expected this parade in the big city of Plano to be really good.  It was not.  It was a disappointment – no bands, no dancing girls, no horses, just a few people walking, some riding in cars, one or two floats, a fire truck and a man dressed like Santa Claus. 

Nevertheless our spirits were not deflated.  It was only the beginning of the day.  Mike suggested we go out for breakfast.  It was a real treat to savor the flavor of sweet pancakes and crunchy bacon.  After getting our fill we headed back to our apartment and decided to soak up some sun by the pool.  We enjoyed reading and napping.  The rest was just what we needed for our next adventure of the day.

A few months ago, in an effort to stay fit and do all we could to keep old age at bay, we purchased a pair of new bikes.  We had only ridden them one time, so we decided today was the perfect day for a ride.  We donned our helmets and headed for the Arbor next door to our apartments.  After leisurely riding on the concrete trail we decided to be more daring a check out the dirt bike trail.  After all, we had mountain bikes.  Not long after we entered the narrow dirt trial that winded in and out of the trees in the forest, I began to wonder if maybe we had made a mistake.  This 63 year-old grandma was realizing why the salesman had tried to sale us the more expensive bikes with the super shocks!!!  The trail bumped over roots, twisted around trees, and tumbled over rocks.  We rode precariously through the tall grass and I was just waiting for a snake to latch on to my ankle.  Mike and I both took a few tumbles and ended up with grass burrs stuck to our shorts and shoes.  Just as I was beginning to think the never ending trail was going to get the best of us, we hit a smooth patch of dirt.  What a relief.  Finally, we approached the end.  How fortunate for us that someone had placed a bench in that very spot, so we sat down, picked out the burrs and congratulated ourselves for making it to the end.

But the day was not over.  There was still more to come.  After drinking a gallon of water and showering we were ready for some fireworks.  We drove to The Colony and strolled through the Liberty by the Lake celebration.  We bought a hamburger from one of the vendors and sat down to listen to a band while we waited for the fireworks.  The fireworks were spectacular.  We were lucky enough to find a way back home that avoided most of the traffic so that made a fantastic end to a very serendipitous day.

You see, even when you are 63 and 65 you can still have fun with your honey.  That’s one of the things that has kept our love alive.  We are best friends and we enjoy each other’s company.   We like to keep life interesting and not get in a rut of doing the same things all the time.

If you haven’t had a serendipitous day with your spouse lately, try doing something out of the ordinary.   It will add a spark to your relationship.

The Martins currently present “Happy Together” Marriage Enrichment Events for churches and organizations.  To schedule an event call Michael at 940-735-1515. They are certified “Prepare/Enrich” Facilitators and are available to work with couples on an individual basis using the “Prepare/Enrich Assessment.”  They publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues.  You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriage.com.