“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
On May 20th, 2014 my wife and I will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. As cliché as it sounds, it really does seem like yesterday since we walked down the aisle as man and wife in a beautiful and memorable garden ceremony.
A lot has changed in 13 years. So many cherished family members and friends, who were only too happy to attend our nuptials, have passed on from this life. I can still remember many of them dressed-up in their Sunday best – dancing, laughing and sharing in our special day.
But one thing hasn’t changed and that’s the commitment we made to each other over a decade ago. Built on a foundation of unconditional love, compassion, honesty and respect I believe our relationship continues to grow stronger with each passing year.
Gone are the growing pains so often associated with marriages early on – the struggles to adjust; the uncompromising behaviors. What we have now is a genuine appreciation and desire to continually care for one another. A romance that’s withstood all the trials and tribulations so many relationships are burdened with – leaving our hearts overflowing with the truest, sincerest form of affection.
As my wife and I prepare to embark on a new journey – relocating our lives some 1,800 miles across the country – I often think how lucky I am to have someone so amazing to share in the excitement, the fears, the stress and the endless possibilities for the future.
I may accomplish great things during the course of my lifetime, but they really wouldn’t mean that much to me if I didn’t have my wife to share in all the joy. I don’t really think of us as just being “married”, I consider what we share together to be the ultimate gift a heart can receive.
Country crooner Kenny Rogers is perhaps best known for a song entitled Through the Years. I couldn’t think of a better way to end this post – Happy Anniversary Angel!
Through the years, when everything went wrong
Together we were strong, I know that I belong right here with you
Through the years, I never had a doubt
We’d always work things out, I’ve learned what life’s about
By loving you, through the years
