My WAY better half

Thus far, my wife, Sara, has made only cameo appearances in my blog, playing a small part in a much larger story. And looking back over my body of work, I've painted quite the unflattering picture--knife wielder, dog disowner, and meal ticket. But that doesn't do her justice, and Sara is no bit player in the story of my life.

I've refrained from sharing too much about our lives together for a couple reasons. First, it's fine for my self-deprecating style to make me (or my Father-In-Law) the butt of the joke, but prior offenses aside, that's not a fate I want for my spouse. Plus, giving you insight into our daily lives would be like watching twelve years of the longest inside joke ever. That makes for a great marriage...but pretty mediocre reading material. (Keep this in mind all you future wedding toasters.)

And yet, I can't help but give you, dear readers, a little taste of the super-sweetness that is my wife. This past week, I've been in Colorado for my final onsite class for my doctoral program. It's tough to be away from Sara for several days in a row, but she is especially skilled at bridging the distance.

On most trips, Sara finds a way to hide a card for each day we're apart. It's heartwarming to wake each morning to the perfect card and her wonderful words. It's a trait that I adore but can never effectively reciprocate...but there was one time I came close.

This week's cards

The first summer we dated, I worked at a mission camp in Tennessee called Mountain T.O.P. Even in the early stages of our relationship, Sara was a card-sender. Actually, that's the understatement of the decade. Sara was the card industry's customer of the year. Every day would bring a new card and every week a care package full of baked goodness. My staff, having never met Sara, adored her nonetheless.

Now understand, I was over the moon for my future wife, but card-giving and romantic gestures were not a part of my depressingly limited repertoire, which makes the happy accident I'm about to detail all the more impressive. For all the cards I received that summer, I think I mailed four in return. Like I said, Ben has little to no game, folks. But one day, upon opening my card, I called Sara to ask if she'd gone to the mail yet...because waiting for her that very moment was the exact card she'd sent to me. Pretty cool, huh?

I've kept every card Sara has sent me over the years, but I cherish one set the most--our unexpected duplication which confirms, despite my failings in her area of strength, that the card's sentiment was right. We really are "two peas in a pod."