To My Love: Reflections on Two Years of Marriage

{Photo by The Three}

It’s been two years, my love.

Two years.

Two years of living life with you.

Two years beyond that altar where we said “I do” in the church that brought us together

Two years of learning more about the other’s deepest fears, delights, strengths, and weaknesses

Two years of laughter, discovery, joy, and thousands of “I love you’s”

Two years of tears, angry words, and wonderings of “Why is this so hard sometimes?”

Two years of adventures, multiple job changes, selling and buying houses, and a cross country move

Two years of being thankful every night that you’re tucked into our bed right beside me

Two years of dreaming about sixty more years with you

Two years of meal planning, cooking dinners, and sharing our daily lives around our kitchen table

Two years investing in two different churches, in two small groups of Jesus followers who have made us stronger in our faith and our marriage

Two years of deep talks concerning future decisions — the choices, weighty, as their impact does not just affect us, but our future family

Two years of traveling around the country with you, attempting to remember the art of compromise when our travel styles conflict

Two years of learning that fighting to be right in an argument with you means we both lose

Two years of quiet evenings at home, of Sonic runs for ice cream and House Hunters on Netflix

Two years of realizing marriage reveals the best in us, while also revealing the most selfish parts of our hearts

Two years of cheering each other on, cheering each other up, and learning to give each other space when needed

Two years of college football watching, with plenty of pizza and Diet Coke

Two years of your hugs which somehow seem to make anything and everything better

Two years of spreadsheets for any decisions needing some additional direction via Excel and your amazing analyst skills

Two years of learning that nursing stories involving bodily fluids should wait until you’re done eating

Two years of thankfulness for your love for Jesus, your wisdom, integrity, and for your constant encouragement of my life, my dreams, of me

{Photo by The Three}

Some would look at us, shaking their heads, “It’s only two years, you’re still newlyweds, it’s still so easy.”

But I would say: Love! TWO YEARS! Let’s celebrate, ok?

Because every year of us is a milestone, every year worth reminiscing over, worth acknowledging, worth commemorating. Although we’re not naive about knowing each year of our marriage will look different, every one with its own triumphs and tragedies, instead of focusing on the years to come, let’s bask in this day’s joy.

Two whole years of life together.

I chose us on August 9, 2014, and I continue to choose us, today, two years later.

I choose to rejoice in two precious, growth-filled years of marriage to you, my love.

Happy Anniversary, Russell, I love you.

Let’s never stop choosing us.