The Ethel to my Lucy


Last week marked 20 years that I have been with my husband, over half my life.  It is amazing to me that is has been that long.  No, not because it has been all candy and flowers but because we were so young when we met that the odds were against us.  I was 19 and he was 20 when we began dating.  Quite honestly, neither of us know anything about adulthood then, yet we have somehow figured it all out along the way.  It hasn't been easy and it definately hasn't been luck, just good old-fashioned hardwork, love and commitment.

One reason that we have stayed married it that when one of us felt defeated, the other always did their best to lift the other one up.  We both put the other one before ourselves. It is never a competition, score is not kept.  We believe that marriage is forever and we treat our marriage as such.  If we are going to be together forever, we might as well make it good.

Another reason is that we stay friends.  We laugh at or with each other everyday.  The beauty of a long term relationship is that you have so many inside jokes that you can find humor anywhere, at anytime.  As friends, there is this deep, unwavering love.  We remember to love each other everyday and to not go to bed angry.

The third and I think most important reason that we, just two kids, were able to make our marriage a truly good one is because I married a good guy.  He never wavered from his vows.  We have had a lot more sickness to face than health and a lesser man may have walked away by now.  Dan may be angry that I am not well but he is always here to pick up the pieces when I am not there to help him.  Believe me, I leave a lot of pieces, all the time.

Marriage is hard but is also so, so great.  The ironic thing is that my life is nothing like I pictured it but it is better than I could have imagined or thought I deserved.  I am married to my best friend, my partner in crime, and the Ethel to my Lucy.  I couldn't be happier.  Happy dateaversary, Dan, I hope for many more years.  <3

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