It was a beautiful November day, full of blue skies, laughter, and the normal drama that comes with any wedding. On this day (11/22) five years ago, I said “I do” to my best friend, my confidante and secret-keeper, and finally my husband. The man who captures my heart and holds it gently in his hands. Who invites my imagination to fantasize about adventures to places near and far. Who appreciates all of me, every brain crinkle and hidden feeling, and brings out the very best parts of me, even when I’m feeling my very worst.
As I reminisce on 5 years of marriage, I think of the vows we made. The I Do’s we promised. Marriage is saying I Do’s. That when a husband and wife say this to one another, they bind themselves together in marriage, and what happens after the wedding day is a series of choices, a series of yes’s or no’s, a series of I Do’s.
Marriage is saying “I will” every single day.
You may not see a way out of this, but I do. Let me hold your hand as we navigate this. You may not love or forgive yourself at this moment, but I do. Let me hug you just a little longer. You may not understand why you feel that way, but I do. Let me help you name the things you are going through. You may not think you are beautiful in this moment, but I do. Even with throw up on your shirt and tears running down your face.
I Do for when things don’t go according to plan. I Do for all the moments that make your heart soar. I Do for when nothing else makes sense.
To have all of your worries, your fears, your bad days and your good days. To hold your hand in triumph on the mountain and to hold your heart as it breaks in the valley.
Marriage as a committed covenant
Will you have this man just as he is? Do you take this woman with all her faults, quirks, laugh lines? Do we take us, together, just as we are now and as we will be 50+years later? As hearts bend and break, will we both meld together, learning each other and learning FROM each other? Will we give more than we get, always giving ourselves first fully? Committed to loving harder, longer, exponentially more-er, giving all of me and not expecting anything in return? I do. Again and again. Not because I have to, but because I choose I Do.
Our time together has been 5 years of high ups and low downs and all-the-way backs and to-the-front forths and lazy ebbs and fast-flowing flows and deep-in-your-belly laughs and gut-wrenching-tearing tears and amazing-all-day adventures and couch-surfing homebodies and never-getting-dogs and can’t-live-without golden doodle dogs and precious-lost babies and finally gum-smiling baby babies. 5 years of long and 5 years of short. And in all of this, I do choose you…choose us…over and over again. Cheers to F I V E 1122Ido’s. I love you, forever and always.
