A Week Late

The year was 1991.  The date was June 1.  Ceremony started at 2 pm.  Unlike half the people married on that day, we are still married.  Mr. and Mrs. David Koehl.

Yes, I know I am a week late with this post.  I didn't forget my anniversary.  We just don't celebrate it like other people.  We celebrate it when we can.  It can be a common malady among Little League coaches with anniversaries in May through July.  It may also be payback for something I did with the engagement.

LuAnn, my wife, comes from a very straight laced, traditional family.  I am the youngest of ten children, a family which belted three kinds of balls: golf balls, fastballs, and highballs.  She comes from a family which stays within the lines.  I come from a family which can't stay within the lines, even if we can see them.

I couldn't stand the thought of a traditional wedding.  I wanted something that would look different, be memorable.  Something the kids could laugh at when they saw the pictures.  I would only do this once, I wanted to do it different.

Different doesn't describe my wife's family.  They work their jobs, do the best they can, and leave work as soon as possible.  Eat dinner, TV and early to bed, early to rise.  Good, decent, hardworking people.  I'm sure I was just tolerated and maybe they hoped God would guide LuAnn in a different direction.

After 20 months of dating, I knew where my future would be.  However, I still wanted something different for a wedding.  Blue jeans and tennis shoes, maybe?  Not happening.  Ballpark wedding?   Uh, no.  Guess I would need to make the engagement memorable.

I had the connections.  I worked with Bethel Baseball, and we hosted the National Christian College Athletic Association National Baseball Tournament at Coveleski Stadium, home of the South Bend WhiteSox.  At the time, they were the Class A team in the Midwest League.  I worked out a scoreboard engagement for the biggest night of the season, the visit of the Famous Chicken.  The story was good: it came up on the scoreboard, I asked her to marry me, she said yes and then told me to go get her a hot dog.

I've been paying for that ever since.  My son, a blessing after seven years of marriage, plays the game well.  My daughter resisted, but eventually took to softball.  We have spent the majority of our anniversaries, including our 20th, with the kids at a ballpark.  The actual celebration comes much later.  Games and practices come first.  She knew she was marrying a sports fan and a coach.

Besides, each day has had it's moments of fun at the old ballpark.  It keeps getting better, even when it's tough.  Every marriage has it's ups and downs, and we are no different.  It's the choice to love after the feeling has waned which makes all the difference.  A little giving, a little taking, and a lot of respect and love are why we are still married today.

So...am i off base?