Our 4th Anniversary

Today Jonathan and I celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary, and I’d like to mark this occasion by taking inventory of our marriage so far. Since we’ve been married we… have lived in 3 houses, have acquired another dog, have travelled to Peru, Jamaica, Scotland, Mexico, San Antonio, Ireland, Missouri, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Colorado.

Some of our most memorable moments have been: eating the best steak of our lives for our 1^st anniversary at Bohannon’s steakhouse in San Antonio. Fuming after the LOST finale in Midland. Bike riding in the Gap of Dunloe on our trip to Ireland. Driving Samson home after picking him up from his foster family in Dallas. Watching LSU beat Arkansas at Tiger Stadium to complete their undefeated season. Dancing to Josh Turner on the Midland Rockhounds baseball field.

Those are just a few of the standout moments we’ve shared, but we’ve had countless insignificant nights cuddled on the couch or walking the dogs where I am hit with the realization that I am so happy.

 

Before our wedding, I was a nervous wreck. I take commitment and responsibility very seriously, so anytime a life changing decision is being made, I ruminate over it for weeks. I was so worried that I was marrying too young, that I was giving up my homeland, that I was walking away from a career, that I was sacrificing too much without a guarantee on the return.

I wish that I could go back and give my 24 year old self a big hug and assure her that her marriage will be blessed. That Jonathan will be a wonderful, considerate, sensitive, romantic, and supportive husband. He will make her laugh when she feels hopeless and lost. He will humor her when she wants to go out for ice cream at 8:30 at night. He will be her support system when she doesn’t know a soul in a new city. He will be patient and encouraging.

I wish I could go back and tell her that those first 6 months that are supposed to be the “honeymoon” phase; those will be the hardest months. But over time her heart will expand and grow until she doesn’t think it’s possible to love anyone more than she loves her husband, and then the next day she will prove herself wrong.  I wish I could tell her not to worry. That no, marriage isn’t perfect. It’s hard, it’s challenging, and at times, it’s exhausting. But there is an intimacy there that will nurture and sustain her as she grows and evolves into who she is meant to be.

Most of all, I wish I could tell her thank you. Thank you for taking that terrifying walk down the aisle; for taking a leap of faith; for risking it all to follow this man down a nomadic and uncertain path. It’s been a rewarding and exciting adventure of a marriage so far. I don't know where we'll be when we celebrate our 5^th anniversary, but I’m fairly sure that no matter what, we’ll look back at this next year as one that brought us even closer together.

Happy Anniversary, JonJon! I can't wait to celebrate many more in the years to come.