Speaking in First Person Plural

The other day was a day just like any other. I had gotten to work a little later than I should have, run off to class slightly less prepared than I typically prefer to be, and when the day was done Jaron picked me up and we came home together.

We discussed our days, what each of us respectively had done or left undone in work and school, and started talking about plans for the rest of the week. We needed to go grocery shopping, do our laundry, and were hoping that it would work for us to go on a little adventure that weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, all at once, it dawned on me: I had spent the last half an hour speaking in first person plural without even realizing it. For at least 30 full minutes, I was speaking with the assumption that all of my plans were united with another human being, and so was he. Whether it was the newness of the concept, or just a particular inkling that drew my attention at the time, I can't quite say. But I can say that I have thought on the topic quite a bit since then.

Quite honestly, I think I'm still mulling it over. However, I have realized that, in a way, a piece of a 23-year-old dream has come true. I always loved to imagine being married and having someone to make all of my decisions with--in my mind, it would be so much easier if I could talk things over with someone who was equally invested and affected by the results of said decision.

That aspect in particular, I'm learning, is relatively nonexistent. Big decisions about jobs, school and housing are just as hard, if not harder, when two people are involved than when there is just one. However, I am also learning that there is more value in those decisions, and there is more fulfillment in watching them unfold. There is something to be said for being united with another individual in a goal, in dreaming together, in hoping for the same things.

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In the end, I think that's what speaking in first person plural is all about. It's about laughing and loving and lifting and living--together. It follows the emotions expressed in the proverb, "Thee lift me and I'll lift thee, and we'll ascend together" (We'll Ascend Together). While there may be more weight to pull, it is a much richer experience to ascend with someone by your side.

We don't know much--we're brand new to this whole marriage thing, so I certainly don't claim any special knowledge in the matter. Still, I do believe that there is power in living in the first person plural, and I look forward to the adventures through it all.

And we will fly.