Coffee with Three Wise Men

This morning, like every morning, I found myself waking up to my alarm, turning it off, and promptly getting back into my bed. It is cooler in my room and the bed has warmth. Then I got up, put on my glasses and headed to St. Agnes for morning prayer. It was a wonderful little prayer like always, and afterward one of the gentleman asked me if I wanted to join them for coffee because they were celebrating.

Now I had been invited to Friday coffee before, but never went because A) I don't drink coffee B) the most productive time of my day is the morning so I try to work then. This time I decided to go because the man that said he was celebrating has been battling cancer and I wanted to know what was cause for celebration.

Yesterday was his last treatment. All the test look good for him, and so for the second time in his life he is back into remission. It was indeed something to celebrate. We all know friends and family who have fought cancer. Some of them are no longer with us and some of them still walk with us today. Today I offer a special prayer for those who have ever had to fight cancer, that peace may be in their heart.

There was joy in celebrating his remission this morning, but there was more. Listing to the three men talk was amazing. They retold stories of their lives. They told of the companies they once worked for and how hard it was for them when the company went under and forced them to take early retirement. I was reminded of loyalty and how often it is hard to find. They spoke of their children. The hopes and dreams they had for them and how hard it is to watch their children in the hard times. Mom and dad, I know you also have hopes and dreams for Elizabeth and I and I know I never tell you how much I appreciate your support, but I think Liz and I would agree we would be lost with out you.

But the one thing they talked about that struck me the most was listing to each man talk about his wife. They all talked about how much they love her, and how they show that love. In the small things. One told me how he remembered that when they were dating after he would drop her off, he would go home and call her and they would talk for hours. So now sometimes when they get home he goes to another room and calls his wife from his cell phone. The gentle bumps and nudges they give to each other to make one another smile. One of them said the only way a marriage will work is if you give your wife as much time and attention and your job. This sounded like a no brainer at first, but then he told me about how you do see your wife as many hours as you are at work so you have to do extra things, work even harder at your marriage then you do with you job.

Now to give credit where credit is due, these are all lessons I have learned before. As I said before I was raised right and I had a father who modeled this things to me. It was different though because I thought morning coffee with the boys was going to be a bit different. Maybe since we were celebrating it was different, but it was great to learn from them.

I know I am not normally this sappy so I will tell you the conversation did end with all the men agreeing with me when I said, "I thinking having to paint the house is reason enough not to get married."

Keep up the fight.