Sometimes You’ve Got to Break the Rules

How do you live “outside the box” and yet have a deep respect for “following the rules”?

I’m learning that there is this weird dichotomy living within me. On one hand, I have a deeply ingrained recognition of rules and the need to follow to have order in our lives.

No matter how many times my doctor tells me, “Call me John”. I can’t stop calling him doctor. Calling someone by their title is proper and respectful. He worked hard to earn that title. I want to respect that.

But, tell me something I can’t do (especially if it involves protecting those I love) and I will break every rule necessary to do that which I know is best. And, more often than not, I choose to follow the road less traveled.

So, I suppose it’s no shocker to those who know me that I’ve ditched the writing prompt for today and decided to go the exact opposite direction.

You see, I am supposed to be writing about something I was never given and how that shaped my life.

In total transparency here, I must first admit that I couldn’t find something worthy of writing about. I mean, there are TONS of examples in my life where I was treated poorly, life hasn’t exactly handed me everything on a silver platter.

But, my brain doesn’t work that way. I tend to focus on what I have been given. And, on a day like today, there is nothing less that I can focus on other than the tremendous gift I was given decades ago. A gift that continues to give, day in and day out.

For the most part, I am quite private by nature. I tend to hold things close. One thing I rarely talk about publicly is my relationship with my husband, Rick.

Now, before you get all National Enquirer on me. There is nothing sensationalistic to learn here. Rick has a career in which he is in the public eye a lot, so he likes to keep his private life private. But, I’m going to break that rule today too.

I met Rick when I was only 15 years old. He was 18. At that age, I wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship. In fact, I wasn’t looking for a relationship at all.

Somehow, I find myself here, nearly 35 years later, grateful for divine connection.

I can only imagine how amazing this planet could be if every woman had a “Rick” in her life.

He is everything I ever dreamed about and more. God is really good to me that way—always giving me more than I asked.

If I can brag on him for a moment . . .

This man is the father of four of the most amazing children on the planet.

He is a leader in his industry.

Fire Chief for 18 years.
The senior (longest standing) fire chief in all of Pinellas County.
President of the Pinellas County Fire Chief’s Association.

He is an elder at our church.

He took care of 3 young children, including our 2-week-old daughter, while I battled (unknowingly) for my life, never once letting on that doctors had told him to prepare for my death.

He stood strong and, even when it was difficult, followed my crazy faith as we walked through our 4-year-old son’s battle with brain cancer.

He has worked his ass off providing for our family so I could stay home to raise our children.

He has always treated me as an equal, with the respect and love that every woman dreams of.

I could go on and on.

Thirty years ago, today, this amazing man married me.