Jay and I have been together more than half of my life now. We met in college and knew each other about a year before we decided to give dating a try. It wasn’t long before we were shacked up together! Of course it didn’t hurt that he had an apartment without stairs and my walker didn’t fit up the staircase at our house…but that is a whole other story!
Jay is a wonderful man. He is loyal, fun, smart, hilarious and easy-going (at least most of the time.) He loves his kids and has the prettiest eyes I have ever seen on a Man. And above all, he is still my VERY BEST FRIEND in the whole world! We have been through a lot in 22 years. We have had 2 children, survived the baby years, and are navigating the teen years (YIKES!!) We have survived me having several surgeries (no one takes better care of a person than Jay!), and the typical ups and downs of a marriage. And we have learned much!
First and foremost, we have learned that marriage is HARD work!! And you MUST continue to work at it ALL the time! Some days will be so tough! Sometimes those days turn into weeks. You might think, “this is it!” But you have to keep on working at the marriage, because if you do, soon enough it won’t be so tough anymore. You will remember why you adore each other in the first place and the easy way you two talk about things and how it’s you two against the world and then everything is great again. And once you weather a few of these storms, you know that you can do it again and again. But you have to keep working at it! Try not to take each other for granted, say something nice even when you don’t feel like it, and remember why you love that person in the first place. “It won’t always be butterfly’s,” but it will turn into something even more special and important if you give it your time and effort.
So on this Anniversary, I would like to say, Thank You Jay! Thank you for loving me even when it is hard to. Thank you for telling me when I am being a pain in the ass, but sticking up for me anyway. Thank you for always having my back and putting me first. Thank you for providing for our family all these years and letting me pursue my dreams. Thank you for being a great Dad and loving our kids…even when it is hard to. Thank you for fixing my computer, even though I am your worst customer. Thank you for letting me sleep next to the fan and never complaining about how cold our bedroom is. Thank you for taking excellent care of me when I inevitably mess myself up because I am a bull in a china shop and a clutz. And Thank you for being my best friend in the whole world! Here’s to 22 more!! I LOVE YOU!!!
