Marriage is a big commitment.
You are committing your life to a person.
One very special person.
Also known as the ball and chain.

My brothers have both taken this plunge -
The plunge into a deep, vast ocean.
And the ball and chain pulls them

Down.

Fast.

The weight of it pulls you down so fast
That no amount of swimming and fighting
Can free you
As the water swallows you.

The ball and chain rushes you to the bottom of the deep, vast ocean.
The trip to the bottom is terrifying and soothing at the same time,
And sometimes it feels like you’re drowning…

You get dizzy and can’t find the air to catch your breath.
You can scared because the only way you know which way is up
Is the way you aren’t travelling
Because you’re sinking.

Down.

Fast.

Every object is a blur,
Every sound is inaudible
Because your eyes are stinging from the shock of the water
And your ears are full of the deafening sound of the water
As you charge through visions of your past and future
And wonder what’s real
And what’s a mirage.

But as you near the bottom, you see a glint of light.
You see the face of someone that looks familiar but you can’t make it out quite yet.
You see lamps lining streets flooded with people…

It looks like Atlantis.
This Atlantis is a place full of your loved ones
Who took the same plunge you did
Into the vast, deep, scary and beautiful ocean of love.

That glint of light is the shining of charms and gems on loved ones’ jewelry,
The jewelry given to them by loved ones
That they wear religiously -
As if not wearing it meant leaving their loved ones on another planet.

That face you saw is the face of the person who first attached the ball and chain to you
And who inspired you to take the plunge with them
And is now ready to spend their life with you,
Beginning in the Atlantis of love.

In Atlantis, you find everything from your happiest dreams:
The people you love surrounding you,
The places you love within walking distance of each other,
The things you love all in one perfect little place.

The only hardship is choosing how to spend your time;
You don’t know how long your time in Atlantis will last
So you take advantage of every second.
You eat and sing,
You dance and laugh,
And all the while,
You’re thinking about what is most important to you.

You discover things about yourself that you never knew.
You discover what life really means
And why you should spend it
Surrounded with love.

You witness things
And create things
And hear things
And find out things that are pertinent to your life.

You have the best days
And everything is wonderful.
You’re never hungry,
You’re never lonely,
You’re never afraid or stressed
Because Atlantis is reminding you of what you love most
And why you took the plunge.

Atlantis is a long lost city of mystery.
It can be whatever you want it to be.
Plato said it was a city of gold lost to the seas.
Lenz said it was an intelligent city full of scholars.
Many have said it’s no more than a myth -
You know otherwise.

Just remember:
“When you’ve hit the bottom, the only place left to go is up.”
The ball and chain pulled you down to Atlantis.
Now, let your love lift you up
To world like ours
But better
And full of love.
And always remember your experience in Atlantis.