Amazing

Let's talk about amazing. I've been fortunate enough to witness a number of amazing events, and experience a handful of amazing times. Here are a few examples...

This is an amazing sunset as seen from our balcony. This view doesn't get old. 

This is an amazing rainbow we saw after a storm. Notice the orange sky? We stared at it for a while. It's a unique sight. 

There are two amazing things in this image. 1.The city in the background is amazing. I'm proud of my hometown Cleveland. 2.The team in the foreground is amazing. Always a Cleveland Indians fan. It will also be an amazing celebration when we win a championship. Hang in there. 

This is a snapshot of an amazing day. Here, we're in the middle of a wild afternoon of being with family and friends. I like this image because it's a still photo of a candid conversation. Of all our wedding pics, this one summarizes us best. 

Above is Ash Cave in Hocking Hills, Ohio. From this angle, we're standing inside looking out. It's amazing how erosion and other elements shaped a mammoth size cave. We traveled here on a very cold day when the snow added an amazing touch. . 

This is an amazing parking job. Looking for a parking spot in Columbus on a Saturday for a Buckeyes football game isn't easy. CJ - the gentleman on the right - parallel parked that car in that spot. Only 3 inches separate the rear and front bumpers from the neighboring cars. Amazing to witness. 

I don't have an image to post about this next amazing event. But I'd like to tell you about how amazing it was. 


A couple years ago, I had appendicitis. I spent a couple hours in some pain waiting for the doctors to remove the angry appendage. I kept telling Wife how much it hurt, and how I haven't felt anything like it before. As the pain intensified, I kept giving Wife updates on how the pain was and where it was at. Eventually, the appendix was removed. 


This past week, my wife spent a total of 39 hours in labor. Her contractions went from frequent painful discomfort to continuous agony in a short time. While it was evident to see she wasn't feeling great, she never complained out loud. At one point, the doctor asked, "On a scale of 1 to 10 - 10 being the worst pain you've ever experienced - what is your pain level?" In a calm tone, Wife replied "A 10." 


10? Based on her body language, I would have guessed it was a 6 - at most. This quiet acceptance of ongoing pain by my wife was amazing. As the day unfolded, I checked the monitor to see her contractions. With them only 3 minutes apart and lasting for 2 minutes, she responded in the same demeanor as she had 30 hours prior - just handling it as it happened. She remained very stoic throughout the whole process; treating labor and delivery like it's something she's done a million times. 


Let's make one thing clear: We are a competitive couple. It takes a lot for us to earn each other's respect. We don't congratulate one other for small accomplishments. Rather, we challenge each other to beat the record, set a new top score, or one-up the other. When I'm complaining, she tells me to stop whining. When she complains, I tell her that her mom is only a phone call away. 

But last week...

She rewrote my perspective of tough. I've been looking for a way to challenge myself and test my toughness - competing in a Tough Mudder race, joining a MMA class, running in freezing temps, finishing a triathlon. But she comes along and smashes to pieces everything I thought tough was, and she didn't even flinch. 

That's amazing. 

I don't think I'll ever see a sunset, or a parallel parking job that will be more amazing than the toughness my Wife showed last week. She has set the bar of amazing to a new height. 


There is an off chance that the celebration for a Cleveland championship may someday be more amazing than that though.