Friday, March 22, 2013

Simple Joys of Newlyweds

One Saturday morning after dropping Mary Ellen off at the school and stopping at the credit union, I returned home via State Street. I passed Aldi's. A young adult Amish man is tying up his horse and buggy. The wife, in her long cape and black bonnet, watches. Even from the distance, I can sense they are married.
I could palpate the closeness. She waited for him, instead of rushing to get into the store. I imagine they are newlyweds.
The old tradition in Ohio was the Amish married in late October and the month of November. My friends told me, now, there are just too many young people getting married that the weddings run from May well into the winter. They marry on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
I wonder if the New Wilmington Amish have continued to only marry after the harvest. I think this couple must have married only a few months prior. Or they may have been married longer. I can tell they are young. I know in any culture, at least for most, the joy of doing things together as a couple starts a marriage. I glimpse at this Amish couple with their brown horse and orange brown buggy, waiting to shop together at Aldi's. They are not rushed. No one is watching children. No outside job demands their attention. They have a Saturday going to town day together. I remember fondly our first going to town Saturdays in the early months of our marriage. I didn't work at first because we weren't sure if David would be transferred after completing sub school. Monday through Friday, he sat in sub school on the base in New London, Connecticut. I maintained our apartment and studied for state boards. Saturday, we shopped and explored this area. I cherish those times. Did it seem it could get better?
As kids come and more responsibilities with seemingly less time, we tended to divide and conquer. We lost pleasure in doing the routine errands, chores and housekeeping together. I look at the Amish couple and think we all need to keep our life simple as newlyweds.

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