One Year

A year ago today, I committed to spending the rest of my life with another human being. A commitment I'd said 'yes' to many months before. A human being I had known since I was 15. For the first time in my life, I was living with someone that was not a blood relative. Someone who didn't know all of my day-to-day quirks, and I didn't know his. Someone who, like me, didn't really have an example of what to do in marriage, mostly just what not to do.

It's probably the biggest commitment, besides parenthood, that people can make. Committing to spend your entire life with someone else. Not until it gets hard, not until you get tired of that person, not until it doesn't look how you expected it to, not until keeping your vows feels cumbersome. Forever. Even when that person leaves their underwear on the bathroom floor, or wants to repaint the same room for the 1000th time (who could that be?). Even when you're tired and the thought of being gracious and kind to another person makes you want to scream.

The past year has been quite a journey. I found someone who has seemingly endless amounts of patience for me. Someone who rolls his eyes when I say, "So...I thought of another good idea for a project on the house," and then proceeds to ask me what it is and get excited, too. Someone who listens to my long, impassioned rants about any and everything. Someone who supports me in pursuing what I want in life. Someone who thinks I'm far better than I am.

So Ethan, thank you for everything you do. For loving me, for helping me, for supporting me, and for living this journey with me. Here's to 100 (being optimistic) more. I love you. Let's go eat some freezer cake.