What’s a baby bond? For those of you who aren’t familiar with this tradition, it was once common for the relatives of a new mother or father to give their newborn baby a gift. Now, this gift certainly wasn’t the cutest thing you could get for a baby. It wasn’t a precious onesie or an itty-bitty bib. The gift was a bond. The idea behind it was that you were giving something that would, in the long run, be much more important than an item of clothing, soon to be outgrown. The bond would be purchased at its current value and would be placed in a safe place to mature over many years. When the child grew up, the bond could be cashed in and used toward anything from weddings to college education to a first home. So as the child grows, so does the value of the gift. The later you wait to cash it in, the more it’s worth. Way to teach delayed gratification at a (very!) young age.
In the summer of 2007, I headed to my hometown of Potomac, Maryland to finish up the final plans for our wedding before setting up our first household in Cleveland. Because it didn’t make sense for her to hold them anymore, my mom gave me my baby bonds that summer. Although I could’ve cashed them in during our first year of marriage, I eventually decided to hold onto them a bit longer – because now that I’m older, I understand their value.
But the baby bonds aren’t the only things that have gained value over the past 4 years. Over time, I’ve realized that my marriage is like a baby bond.
Most of you probably know that I was married at the young age of 21. To most people these days, especially from my hometown, that’s considered quite young and immature; now that I’m older, I can’t help but agree. While I recall my passion and excitement for our wedding and our first days of building a home together, I really don’t think I truly knew what I was getting myself into. During that first year, I fought dirty. I thought of myself as more important than Joe. And I was a lousy encourager to him, even as he worked hard as a teacher to put me through my first years of law school.
Thank God that Joe had patience with me, because if either of us had cut and run, that bond would have cashed in for very little in its first year or two. But God gave us this bond, for better or for worse, and we had to keep it safe and wait for it grow in value.
In the years to come, I couldn’t believe what blossomed before my eyes. Seeing the sacrifices Joe made for me, the patient care with which he comforted me, and the thoughtful ways he romanced me, my heart truly began to melt into his. It certainly hasn’t been a cakewalk – Joe pushes me hard to be my best. In fact, he’s pushed me to be more than I thought was my best, because he saw more potential in me than I did myself. That’s just love, pure and true.
Now, here we are, exactly four years into our marriage. While Joe takes the Ohio Bar Exam, I work on a business that he helped me create and will one day co-own. I am floored by what has become of this bond that God has given us, and I continue to be amazed at the way it has matured. The truth is, I don’t know what its value will be in 10 years, 20 years, or 50 years. But I know today that I am honored to hold and cherish this bond, and to believe that God will protect it as we wait for it to grow, and grow, and grow.
Happy Anniversary, Babers. You couldn’t be more valuable to me!
