Love is a many-splendored thing

A while back, some folks from National Presbyterian asked Mitch and I if we'd be willing to be co-m.c.'s for their Valentine's Day event entitled "Love is a many-splendored thing". Since Mitch had a history of doing silly run-on skits and characters for various church functions, they wanted him (and me, by association) to liven the event up.

We soon realized that agreeing to do it, and coming up with a lively script were two different things. I mean, we'd written little skits and scripts before, but, this time around, whenever we sat down to put pen to paper (or, more accurately, sit in front of the computer to brainstorm ideas), we were coming up dry. We felt pressure because we knew that the people running the event expected us to be hilarious. And it didn't help that they'd insisted that we play the roles of Romeo and Juliet, as we m.c.'ed, (When I mentioned to my son that we were going to be Romeo and Juliet, he was like, "Um, weren't they younger?" ;)

So, yes, we were feeling under the gun. But after some prayer, and after a friend helped me borrow some costumes from the Children's Theatre of Annapolis, things started to fall into place.

One of the most unexpected benefits of our taking this on, for me, was to rediscover how much my husband could make me laugh. You know how it goes----you love your spouse dearly, but in the grind of the daily routine, your conversations can tend to become more business ("what time do we need to pick up the kids," "we're out of hot sauce, can you run to the store,") and less pleasure ("you complete me" ;).

But as we rehearsed our big finale ("Somewhere" from West Side Story), Mitch would make the goofiest expressions or come up with the silliest ideas----like pretending to be in pain as he struggled to get down on one knee, singing "somehow-ow-ow". :) We laughed and laughed.

The event went well, by all accounts. For that I am grateful. But I'm even more grateful that I am blessed to have by my side, day by day, my own dear Romeo.