Happy Anniversary, Baby

   I am extraordinarily fortunate to be celebrating 12 years of sharing married life with my man.  Recently he made a special effort to surprise me with a sweet gift and note to tell me how much he loves me and is proud of me.  He is far better at expressing his emotions than I am.  My instinct is more to show love by actions than words, because when it comes to expressing my feelings, words fail me.  For a person who seems to never run out of things to say, it is ridiculously hard for me to wax eloquent and romantic, which always feels melodramatic and cheesy to me.   But for his sake, I try.   

 For our anniversary we went out for a simple date.  Dinner together, and then a visit to a local karaoke joint that we like to go to from time to time.  My dear husband sang a duet with me as we held hands.  He has rarely sung in public since our high school choir days, where we met, so it is special to me to hear him sing for me.  I sang a special song for him, but could not even say anything sweet to him about it, other than that it was for him.   I wanted to, but I just couldn’t find the words. 

Over the last few years, our lives have changed dramatically.  We have been turned upside down more than a few times, sometimes with great things, other times not so great.  But through it all we have always surfaced together, always pulling closer together instead of floundering and growing apart.  I have no idea what the secret is to having a marriage still happy after 12 years, other than just love.  We find a way to overcome everything through love.  We treat each other with love and respect even as we recognize our own humanity and forgive the mistakes and flaws that we all possess as imperfect beings.  We find a way to laugh and love through all of life’s speedbumps.  My husband is the one I want to turn to when I have a great day, or a horrible one.  He is the first one I call, always.  He is the one who fills in the gaps for me, as I do for him.  Separate we are an incomplete puzzle, but together, the pieces fit perfectly.