Soul Mates

While You're Away

Recently, I (Mike) had to go away for a few days on business. It was the first time Marion and I had spent time away from each other since the wedding. While I (Mike) was kept busy and distracted from missing Marion with the demands of the conference I was attending, the experience was quite different for Marion.

Of course I (Marion) had been away from Mike before. The last time Mike was away was when we were planning the wedding. That particular weekend my sister called me five or six times to keep me distracted, asking me questions about the wedding. This time it felt different. We always get to re-connect at the end of our day. Mike and I always have dinner together and talk about the day’s events. There was one day that Mike came home and had me laughing so hard I was rolling on the floor! I missed those silly antics! I also missed when Mike comes home and sings to me. I actually missed hearing the door opening knowing that it’s Mike and go running over to see him. It was quiet without him, too quiet.

I (Mike) was fortunate enough to have some colleagues
there who liked to party. My new friends, Ray, Greg, and Fr. Harry stayed out with me talking a laughing until 2AM! That really kept my mind off missing Marion. The day was filled up with few breaks so time really flew! Still, I used the few breaks in the day to try to call Marion and check in. Often I’d be disappointed to find her not home nor in the classroom (Marion’s a teacher). But those few moments of message leaving were my way of at least letting her know that she was on my mind. At dinner, Greg, another colleague, mentioned that he was married on the same day as us! So the dinner conversation revolved around our early relationships with our new brides. We regaled the table with our biggest faux pas and our stories of engagement, how we met, and our wedding liturgies. Oddly enough, people found us entertaining.

I (Marion) loved coming home to hear Mike’s phone messages. It made me so happy just to hear his voice. One time I left a message for him in a very excited voice. When I finally got him on the phone I was really thrilled (Thank God for cell-phones)! With the dawning of the movie “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” I was talking each night on the phone to my friend and bridesmaid Kathryn, who I consider my sister. We would chitchat and carry-on for some time. I also caught up on reading and journal writing. I was happy that it was time for spring-cleaning and took advantage of the free time I had for that.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Nobody knows this better than us. Time apart is healthy and necessary, but moreover, it makes us appreciate the time we spend together more.