The number of years I’ve been married.
My reflex was to end that statement with a happy smiley like so 🙂 (you know how fond I am of my smileys!), but for a fraction of second I hesitated and the urge diminished (please note I said diminished NOT disappeared! This is for you Hubby before you go flying off the handle :P). Not coz I haven’t for the most part, had a good, solid marriage nor that I haven’t enjoyed being married to Hubby most of the time…just my penchant for honesty (you know, that awkward, often inconvenient and sometimes suicidal need to be nothing but forthright? You do know what I’m talking about right?!). So a Happy smiley would have been a half-truth, no that’s stretching it, a ¾ truth then 😛 (Hey! Am being honest remember?) Can’t blame the smiley people though…some things just cannot be contained in one tiny face, marriage for one, parenting for another! Both so similar (as I’m finding out), requiring infinite patience, loads of hard work, a healthy dose compromise and an underlying desire to make it work. Both with rich rewards when successful and awful pain when not. Each unique and impossible to explain or understand wholly, unless experienced. So when they create a smiley that says all that…I’ll happily use it everywhere it fits 😉
And now that that’s out of the way, on to the Mush!! (Aaaw…you didn’t think I was All honesty did you ;-)) Nineteen years is a long time for most things especially a marriage…and I must say I’m enjoying the ride 🙂 Here’s why…It’s NEVER been boring…it’s been good, bad, ugly, happy, sad, tense, peaceful, stressful, joyous, romantic, sweet, bitter, loads of fun, exciting, adventurous, wondrous and an education of sorts. I’ve known Hubby for 21 years and after all these years I’m filled with a quiet confidence and serenity that comes from knowing that I made the right choice. I know now with more certainty than I knew then – He’s the right man for me 😀 He puts up with my tantrums (and they are god-awful I can tell you!), endures my endless ribbing, takes care of all the important, mundane stuff (that I totally suck at), leaving me free to wander off on my flights of fancy, has supported me through action and inaction, has given me some fabulous surprises, and most importantly believes in me when I’m hard-pressed to believe in myself!! How’s that for some serious Mush 🙂 Through the years he’s taken care of me and nursed me through some terrible lows. A great man to have around in a crisis, he’s the epitome of cool, when my nerves are in tatters. And lest I forget, the reason I fell head over heels for this rather deceptively reserved, extremely talented and exceptionally intelligent man is his killer smile 🙂 The smile that can still make my knees turn to jelly, not that I’ll ever let on 😉 Well, maybe just this once! I’m smiling now, but my eyes are tearing up…so lets just leave it at that, shall we? (The dangers of Mush!)
Our marriage has had it’s ups and downs like every other, but we’ve always found our way together and I’ve grown to rely on his judgment (he won’t believe this but I do!), trust his decisions and seek courage in his strength. He’s worked long and hard to get where he is today (I envy his focus and dedication and wish some of it would rub off on self…Alas, if wishes were horses…) and he has done it with dignity & integrity and I am oh so very, very proud 🙂 And so after 19 years of togetherness, all I want to say is “I love you, Darling. Always have and always will. Oh and just so you know, Diamonds always help!” Kidding! I’m just kidding!! Geez!!!
Happy Anniversary Darling! Welcome to a new decade of togetherness 🙂
H is for Happiness 