Ollie Ollie Outs In Free

I have never been comfortable with people who think the Dickman and I have the perfect marriage, and in truth, that myth is perpetuated only by those who don't know us well.

Don't get me wrong. I have a great marriage, a blessed marriage. 

But a perfect marriage... no freakin' way. 

We are an imperfect couple who are too dang stubborn to give up on each other. And after 37 years of marriage, we have learned to accept our differences and embrace our strength.

No, that's not a typo. We have A strength. Just one, but it's a good one. Almost like a superpower.

Our strength:  COMMITMENT

Commitment to our marriage. 

Commitment to our dreams. 

Commitment to our faith.

Commitment to each other.

So, even on those days when I'm bloated and pissy and taking my stress out on him... even on those days when all he wants to do is watch six hours of uninterrupted football while I'm chopping cotton and milking cows for sustenance... even then, our commitment holds firm.

Maybe it has something to do with falling in love when we were just puppies... all those years and all those layers of life solidifying into an unbreakable bond...

Whatever it is, wherever he is... is home.

And now that our home is in the country, we have turned into two old spoiled farts.

We've gotten used to the tranquility and addicted to taking deep breaths off the back deck. So much so, that when one of us is gone for awhile, we have our own silly way of letting the other know we are safely home, again. 

Heck, I even made him a sign...

Remember when we were kids and stayed outside playing until the street lights came on? Playing games like “Kick The Can” and “Hide And Go Seek”, remember...?

In our little neighborhood, we had a rule: if someone had hidden themselves so well that nobody could find them, then they got to come 'home' free.

Whoever was "IT" let them know they were safe by yelling, “Ollie Ollie Outs In Free!”.

There was no better sound to hear; no better feeling than to know you could come finally come out of hiding and run home, free and safe.

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This week, my heart has been heavy for a beautiful friend whose husband found his way home.

I'm not exactly sure how the Dickman and I became friends with Paul Revere and his lovely wife, Sydney. But I must say, it's been an honor.

The famous rock star... 

and his stunning wife, a popular Marilyn Monroe impersonator...

Though we were duly impressed by their accomplishments and notoriety, the biggest honor of knowing the Reveres was to witness their amazing love, to breathe in the rarified air of their devotion.

Both were larger than life, even before they met.

Yet, conversely, to each other they were but mere mortals. She was his beautiful Syd and he, her Baby.

They were completely sappy to be around, and you never left their presence without a smile on your face.

It breaks my heart to write of them in the past tense. They were a team in every sense of the word. If ever two were truly one, it was Paul and Sydney. Commitment had become their superpower, as well.

I have read dozens and dozens of tributes and memorials for Paul Revere... for his contribution to Rock and Roll... his work with veterans through his foundation (http://ridetothewall.us/)... for the life that he lived so well. I hope the accolades for him keep coming and never stop.  He deserves them all and so much more.

A huge void is left in the absence of the force of nature that was Paul Revere.

But now, my thoughts are with his Sydney... the beautiful wife who never left his side, who always had his back, who gave him strength to keep smiling and laughing until the end, even when she did not know how she would carry on without him.

This incredible woman has inspired me to live better and to love deeper and to never take one single day for granted. To guard my commitment and keep it strong.

Her commitment never wavered. And in the end, she gave her Paulie the most unselfish, loving gift of all. Sydney helped him to run home, free and safe.

Ollie Ollie Outs In Free...