Category: strong

Today, I am celebrating the day that I stood beside an amazing man and became his wife, and he became my husband.

I write about my husband a lot here, because he’s my best friend. So many people complain about their spouse, but I am the opposite: I enjoy spending time with my husband. We don’t get nearly enough time together.

Part of feeling that way is that we took so long to find each other. Both of us had been married and divorced already, so both of us knew what it feels like to tie that knot with the dreadfully wrong person. We both learned first-hand what it’s like when your marriage was a mistake instead of a blessing, and we knew with certainty what we did not want, ever again.

We stumbled across each other one day and were drawn to each other, despite all the chaos and negativity around us at the time. Other people tried like hell to keep us apart. They failed. Through all the lies, attacks, and rages, we held onto each other, supported each other, and went to battle for each other.

This past weekend, we escaped for a long weekend to one of our favorite beach spots as an early anniversary gift to each other. Sitting beside him in the sand, listening to the waves, is one of my most cherished ways to pass an afternoon.

We slept with the drapes pulled back so we could watch the sunrise from the bed, relaxed in each other’s arms. Typically we get up early, walk on the beach, pick up shells, and watch the sunrise from the water’s edge, but this time, we just wanted to stay right where we were. And it was perfect.

We have been together about 18 years now. Who knew, that first time I saw the tall, loud man who can make everyone laugh, how much my life was about to change?

We haven’t always had it easy. We haven’t been allowed to. But in sweet irony, every attempt to drive us apart only forged us closer together. We have leaned on each other, supported each other, and backed each other up, and through it all, we knew that what we found with each other is well worth fighting for.

Today, we celebrate our decision to make it official, to become husband and wife, to face all of our tomorrows as a team. There is no one else I want to watch sunrises with, for the rest of my days. Words cannot adequately describe how I feel about him, so I will let my actions show him every day instead.