"O swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable." (Romeo & Juliet, 2:2:109-112)

For some reason, I loved those lines when I first read them in high school, and remembered them (quoting them at annoying moments as any pompous Harvard windbag is wont to do).

Recently it occurred to me that it seems there are two things Juliet didn't know, though perhaps Shakespeare did.

First, the moon doesn't change. It's still there. We just can't see it sometimes. But unlike many things in life, it's pretty damn reliable.

Second, everything changes - everything's "variable." Eventually the sun will explode and eat the moon. It's just hard to know what changes will happen and when - there's the rub. Juliet lived less than a week after saying these lovely words. So yeah.

So, moons. It's been a month since what was pretty much the worst week of my adult life. My wife almost left me, my aunt almost died, I lost a dear friend, and the bathroom ceiling fell in. Yeah, literally. Apparently there was a leak upstairs.

The whole losing my job thing, that was a week or two later, but maybe I can kind of toss it in the mix.

So now, a month later, I take stock: still big holes where friend n bathroom ceiling used to be; job still lost. On the other hand, aunt is revived and seems ok (though her mind seems to be gone), and marriage has revived more promisingly than aunt (with its mind still intact) - revived much, much more than I'd have dared to hope a month ago.

So, I have much to be grateful for (what do you do with that dangling preposition? Much for which to be grateful? :-P ).

As I walked down the sidewalk with wifey yesterday laughing and talking about the Star Trek movie (separate post!), as she woke up this morning all sleepy-eyed and beautiful, as she made me breakfast and made me take the dog out, i felt and feel so lucky, lucky, lucky. The absolutely most wonderful person in the world is my wife. And she still loves me! After all that's happened, all I've done, all these years.

My moods are getting more and more unpredictable, the tears and laughter sweeping over me like waves, like storms, like tides that rise and fall at the whim of a moon I can't yet see or chart... I know at times it makes me seem unreliable or confused, confusing...

...but my love still is true, my friendship is true, I am still here after all these years, and so are you. Thank you.