10 Years Later

The other night, after the lights were out but midnight thoughts were keeping me awake, I found myself reflecting on marriage.

When Matt and I got married, I knew about the "honeymoon stage", and that the love I had for him would evolve. I thought, having been together five years before we got married, maybe that wouldn't happen to us.

I was wrong. Things have changed; they've gotten better. Over the last decade, Matt and I have dealt with typical ups and downs, and we've truly learned how to communicate, how to support each other, and how to truly be partners. We were pretty young when we got married, by today's standards. When I look back on who we were when our marriage began, I can't believe we were ever those people. I am grateful that as we've changed, we've always grown in the same direction.

Whether it was taking up sports (neither of us were athletes when we got married) or getting more educated on and involved in politics, our values have always aligned. We are on the same side.

Above all, I didn't know, back then, to look forward to how comfortable things would become. Not in a "settling" kind of way; in a I-really-can-just-be-myself-and-you-might-laugh-but-I-know-you'll-support-me way. 

In a grateful-to-have-you-in-my-corner-and-never-doubt-it way.

In a home-actually-is-wherever-you-are way. 

I feel wholly content every day I'm with him, and that feeling of total satisfaction is just...everything.

I'm looking forward to where our life together takes us next, and to a time when we can actually get out of the house to celebrate 10 years how we've always wanted to...maybe before year 11 comes around.

ABK