SPOILER ALERT!

Michelle Pfeiffer has the most amazing run-on-sentence-line in the movie starring her and Bruce Willis about a marriage that started out well, got really bad, got worse, involved splitting up and how they find their way back to each other (I’m sorry if I just ruined this movie ending for some one), in Story of Us, 1999. 

For Dave’s birthday a couple of years ago, we all chose movie clips that reminded us of him or our relationship with him and played them before opening presents.  The kids picked some pretty good ones.  Some were funny and others were tear-jerkers.  I chose this scene even though the actual storyline is nothing like the history Dave and I have (thank goodness).  Still, I love what she says and as I read it, I can even hear how she says it – talking in this big, crazy circle with seemingly unrelated thoughts that say everything to her husband she needed to say (I’ll add paragraph breaks for easier reading, but there are no breaks in this monologue): 

KATIE:” That’s not why I’m saying Chow Funs. I’m saying Chow Funs because we’re an “us.” There’s a history here and histories don’t happen overnight.

In Mesopotamia or Ancient Troy there are cities built on top of other cities, but I don’t want another city, I like this city. I know what kind of mood you are in when you wake up by which eyebrow is higher, and you know I’m a little quiet in the morning and compensate accordingly – that’s a dance you perfect over time.

And it’s hard, it’s much harder than I thought it would be, but there’s more good than bad and you don’t just give up! And it’s not for the sake of the children, but…they’re great kids, aren’t they? And we made them, I mean think about that! It’s like there were no people there and then there were people and they grew and I won’t be able to say to some stranger Josh has your hands or remember how Erin threw up at the Lincoln Memorial.

And I’ll try to relax, let’s face it, anybody is going to have traits that get on your nerves, I mean, why shouldn’t it be your annoying traits, and I know I’m no day at the beach, but I do have a good sense of direction so I can at least find the beach, which isn’t a weakness of yours it’s a strength of mine.

And…you’re a good friend and good friends are hard to find. Charlotte said that in Charlotte’s Web and I love how you read that to Erin and you take on the voice of Wilbur the Pig with such dedication even when you’re bone tired. That speaks volumes about character! And ultimately, isn’t that what it comes down to? What a person is made of?

That girl (I used to be) is still here….I didn’t even know she existed until you and I’m afraid if you leave I may never see her again, even though I said at times you beat her out of me, isn’t that the paradox? Haven’t we hit the essential paradox? Give and take, push and pull…the best of times, the worst of times! I think Dickens said it best, ‘He could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean,’ but that doesn’t really apply here does it?

What I’m trying to say is, I’m saying Chow Funs because, I love you.”

Dave and me – we’re an “us”…Blessings, Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: So this is my prayer: that (our) love will flourish and that we will not only love much, but love well...(paraphrasing The Message), Philippians 1.9