26 Years

26 Years

When I look at us, I can see the passage of time creeping in on our lives. Little lines on our faces, my extra 20-50 lbs., some physical aches and pains, and, of course, the three constant reminders getting taller, more vocal, and so much wiser than I would have thought possible are pretty good lagging indicators. But yet, when I think about the past 26 years, I don't feel the passage of time in the same way. In my head, we're still young, learning how to fall in love with one another blissfully unaware that we're viewed as "incompatible" and "likely to fail." But then I think about all the leading indicators we've had over the past 26 years and I realize that while it is a serious chunk of time, we're still only at the beginning of our love and have so many more years to experience one another and this shifting globe around us.

I love you more and more each day dear. Happy Anniversary!

26 Years

26 years and we're shifting from silver and headed to gold.

26 years and we've got a high school freshman?!?

26 years and our relationship is older than Halsey, who was born on our second anniversary.

26 years of stopping and staring; often in amazement, occasionally in horror, but always with love.

26 years of memories; old, new, and those yet to be made.

26 years and so many different ways to communicate, but we still prefer eye to eye and face to face.

26 years and more than 13 million minutes that you've taken my breath away.

26 years and with our three children getting older, having the joy of introducing them to traditions for even more memories.

26 years of growing older, wiser, and in some cases, grayer together.

26 years of reflection on who we were and what our love has grown into.

26 years of locking ourselves away from the outside world to recharge together.

26 years and the musical soundtrack of our love now contains so many songs it is a box set.

26 years of gaining and sometimes losing friends and family, but keeping memories forever.

26 years and finding we still act more like that annoying couple who just got together vs. a relationship as old as Nick Jonas, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato (who were all born in 1992).

26 years of trusting and believing in our love without fail.

26 years of sappy public displays of affection making family and friends ill with a sugar rush.

26 years of being able to harness "the awesome burning power of love" to our benefit.

26 years of shared history, experiences, and emotions...though you cry way more at television shows and movies than I ever will.

26 years of keeping love grounded in the present while honoring our past and securing our future.

26 years of sharing breakfast, lunch, and dinner and more than the occasional dessert as evidenced by my spreading midsection.

26 years with unparalleled intimacy.

26 years of wondering why us, what makes us different, and then looking in your amazing eyes and finding the answer.

26 years and there may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but I've discovered millions of ways of staying with mine.

26 years of knowing we'll never be free of each other and being totally ok and emphatically on-board with that.

26 years with a tenderness together that can't be replicated.

26 years and yet we still find new ways to love each other and for that I'll be eternally grateful.

So, here's to 26 years, 26 more, 26 after that, and another 26 for good measure.

"You're still the one I run to. The one I that I belong to. You're still the one I want for life. You're still the one I love. The only one I dream of. You're still the one I kiss good night. I'm so glad we made it. Look how far we've come my baby."

"Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me."