Celebrating

​

Just a couple of kids on the eve of their anniversary. 

Tim and I both took two days off work to celebrate us, and I think we all need to do that a little more often. Life gets so busy with work, chores, responsibilities, and all the other nonsense that fills our days that we sometimes forget to stop, take a breath, and focus on what really matters: time together and the love we share.

We had a wonderfully relaxing morning, lollygagging around, getting a few chores done, but nothing too ambitious. Then we were off to Theatre By The Sea for You’ve Still Got a Friend, a show filled with the fantastic music of James Taylor and Carole King. The old barn theater always comes through with great performances, and I absolutely love a matinee!

After the show, we headed to the Coast Guard House, where we sat on the deck and soaked in the sunset, fresh ocean air, and every last bit of summer weather, especially important with rain in the forecast for the next few days. There’s something pretty perfect about ending a summer day with a view of the ocean and nowhere else you need to be.

Tim and I will be celebrating five years of marriage, which is kind of hard to believe. Then again, it’s also hard to believe it’s only been five years! We were together for ages before that, dating for a solid 11 years before finally jumping in and saying our “I do’s.” And the best part? I know we’d both do it all over again if we had the choice. Color us happy.

Finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with is, without a doubt, one of the most important choices you’ll ever make. I see firsthand through friends how badly that choice can sometimes go, and I’m always amazed when people stay in situations that make them unhappy. We get one short life, and being happy should be a top priority.

Tim and I groove pretty well together. We’re definitely yin and yang in a lot of ways, but somehow, it works. And that whole idea that marriage is 50/50? I don't believe that for a minute. A good marriage makes room for 99/1 more often than not, because sometimes one person needs to carry a little more of the load, whether it’s because life is throwing a curveball or simply because something isn’t in your wheelhouse. Hopefully, that balance shifts back and forth naturally, with neither person keeping score.

Maybe that’s the real secret: finding someone who makes life feel lighter, even when life itself isn’t. Whatever the recipe is, I’m grateful we’ve found ours, and that we’re both smart enough to hold on to it with all our might. Five years married, 16 years together, and still choosing each other. I’d say that’s something worth celebrating. 

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” ~ Emily Brontë