Yesterday, I stumbled upon this video on Facebook. The video is of Janette's wedding vows to her husband Matthew in the form of a poem she entitled "I Waited for You". I teared up while watching, not only because of how beautiful the love and understanding these two have for each other is, but because of how Janette describes herself and her attitude towards love.
Some of my favorite words spoken were:
"...I didn't believe you existed in the first place, but in the slight, rare possibility that you did, you would definitely not want me...because I'm not her...I was never the princess; I was the fire breathing dragon..."
"...I was already in a relationship with pain, and I hate hated him...but I loved him...because pain had been faithful for years..."
"...there were no butterflies, just extreme discomfort because comfort is uncomfortable to someone more acquainted with pain than with love..."
"...I was a relentless unpredictable storm, and I guess those other men were made of straw and hay because I huffed and puffed but the spirit that your brick body housed wouldn't go down / Why couldn't I admit that your hand placed gently on the back of my neck calms me? / Instead I accused you of trying to control me / I hated the way my heart became a defiant teenager and began listening to you instead of me..."
"...skydiving on the wings of your patience / Thank you for catching me, but this love...it's too much...this love is just way took much...I am consumed, I am overwhelmed / Did you know that I am crazy? Did you know broken homes and corrupt fathers and fictitious family figments, fractured bones and stained glass windows shattered my windpipe...it's hard to breath when anyone gets close..."
"...it took me 33 years to let that pain die so that hope and new life could resurrect..."
"...all I can do is Thank God and your mother for raising the man I never believed could exist..."
"We are not Romeo and Juliet. We are just Matthew and Janette."
"...I could make a millions promises with a long list of what I could vow, but we are flawed human beings...I vow that I times I will fail you/ I vow that at times I will fall short / but in failures and short comings, I won't tap out, I won't give up...I vow not to buy into false romanticism saying things like "you complete me" because you don't / in Christ I have already been made complete..."
This woman is my heart in human form. She spoke from a place I identify with to the utmost degree when it comes to love and putting trust in another person. Happily, I also found out that this piece was the sequel to a poem Janette performed called "I Will Wait for You", which I might start reciting like a prayer at night. The woman is truth, and she's gained a new fan in me. Maybe you too?
