Member-only story
Into The Woods Journal
Year 2024 — Week Twenty-Eight
July 8
Happy Anniversary
I woke up, just as I always did, the luckiest man on earth. On this day, now years ago, I entered into a sacred contract with another human being with one sole rule. This rule, our vow to each other, encompassed guidance, commitment, expectations, and partnership, all distilled down to four simple and poetic words: Don’t fuck it up.
While our love for each other was epic, another matter stole our focus. Today was my wife’s end of curriculum exam, which tested on a full year’s worth of intricate medical information. The comprehensive exam was six hours long.
Despite the energy in the air, we sipped our customary morning coffee on the couch while exchanging pleasantries. My wife was in good spirits and felt ready for the day. I was excited for her to get the test done so she could have a reprieve from the two years of pressure she had endured.
Despite yesterday’s minor bout of heat exhaustion, I felt pretty good. In all honesty, after spending twenty hours in a hot blind over four days, the thought of sitting at my desk in an air-conditioned room sounded nice. I knew the forest needed to rest, and that my continued presence had disrupted the wildlife’s normal routines. The forest needed more…