Monday, August 11, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my best friend's 19th wedding anniversary, so I just have to take a minute to say...
Happy Anniversary

Nineteen years- WOW! That's quite an accomplishment- something to celebrate! So many things have come up in those 19 years that would have sent many (no-MOST) couples screaming for divorce court and yet you're still here rockin' the marriage thing almost 2 decades later!

You have been my best friend for over half of my life now, and I can't imagine having to go through this life without you- even on the days I think I can barely stand one more second of you and your flaws (and let's be honest... there are "several")!

What a blessing that God has given me a best friend who is:

...The one who can make me laugh harder than anyone else, often at myself. Thank you for helping me not to take myself so seriously, and for making life more fun. Your sense of humor has gotten me through many difficult circumstances.

...The one who can clearly see that I'm a gorgeous, sexy beast when everyone else (especially me) just sees a beast. You are one of the few people I know who can tell me I'm beautiful and make me feel like it's true. It's as if you see Gisele Bundchen when you look at me. Thank you for treating me like the most beautiful woman on earth, and for being my source of confidence when all my confidence is gone.

...The father of my precious, precious babies. Thank you for each one of them! The depth of love you have for these kids is a living reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Your compassion and your ability to forgive, even when your heart has been crushed, just blows me away. Thank you for what you do for our family. It may appear at times like your efforts go unnoticed by all of us (especially me), but they don't.

...My faithful husband. Thank you for sticking with me!

I spent my whole life feeling disconnected from everyone and never quite fitting in with anyone. I've never felt I belonged to anyone. But I fit with you. I belong with you and to you. You are my family. You are my history.

We've seen other marriages go under over things nowhere near as intense as some of the stuff we've weathered together. There were times (days, weeks, months) I felt ready to quit. I couldn't imagine ever liking you again, let alone loving you. I thought we were in the deepest, darkest place we could be, and there was no way it would ever turn around and get better. I'm sure you did, too- but oh, what we would have missed out on if we would have given up. Thank God we didn't. We are living proof that any marriage can be saved with reliance on God. He's been so unbelievably good to us. But, even though He gets the credit for our success, I'm still proud of us. And I'm proud of you. You don't hear that very often, but I am. If only you could admit that everything that ever goes wrong is all your fault and work a little harder to get along with me, you'd be perfect.

Do you remember that crappy little apartment I had when we were dating? The one with no couch? Remember the times we'd hang out there and listen to this?
It was in that pathetic apartment that I first knew I loved you. I remember looking at you and thinking, This is it. This is the man I'm going to love for the rest of my life... So far, it looks like I was right.

I love you, Darrell. Happy Anniversary! Are you up for two more decades?

3 comments:

Anne said...

Happy Anniversary!!!

Anonymous said...

Everything that goes wrong is my fault, and I will try harder to get along with you.

You are my baby girl, you're as beautiful today as the first day I laid eyes on you.

You still take my breath away, like you did when I saw you walking down the aisle and I still couldn't answer when the pastor ask me do you darrell take michelle for your wife!!!!!!

You are the most amazing woman I have EVER met (and YOU'VE met my mom and Grandma A!!!!)but to take on my broken family as your own and try and mend us back together at the sacrifice of everything you wanted to do personally with your own life.

The old saying is that most men try to "marry UP", I certainly did, I went clear up to the top of the list, thank you soooooo much!!

Happy anniversary sweet heart!

sassy chic said...

Happy anniversary to two of my favorite people! You two are the bomb...sometimes you even make it sound like a bomb went off in town but that is totally beside the point! (just kidding, sorta)Keep it up and stay together! Love you E~