Twenty-Three Years

I have a twenty year old son.

To me, twenty doesn't seem that old - and yet, this picture was taken one month after I turned twenty. And just shy of one month after I met the guy who is in this picture with me.

To clarify, my birthday was Nov 14. We met Nov 18. We got engaged Nov 30, and married Dec 16.

I KNOW.

Twenty to me seems barely old enough to drive, not quite old enough to make the right choices and the best decisions - not even old enough to drink. Old enough to decide that it's the best time to be married?

Obviously, it was.

I love this picture of us at our wedding. It pretty much typifies our relationship.

I am the crazy one. The cranky one, the easily and oft irritated one. The high maintenance part of the equation, the one who feels more deeply, is more easily insulted, and struggles to see the good in people.

He is the one who wears not only rose colored glasses, but rose colored wrap around goggles - so as to see virtually everything in the most perfect, best possible light. It's super de duper annoying - sometimes, I just want him to SEE what I'm saying, to take MY side, to acknowledge that, yes, you have a point - and sometimes, he does so - I think just to shut me up.

We've had a couple of rough spots, just like every other couple who has been together longer than 2 days. But he's the first person I want to tell something to, the first person I want to share the details of my day with - on the phone, usually, sigh - the only person that I wish was on business trips with me -

and not just because he carries the luggage and holds my purse and camera bag when I go to the bathroom.

We've had six kids together, gone through so many ups and downs that it often feels like a roller coaster ride (one that's backwards through a dark tunnel without a seat belt half the time, while traveling on a stomach full of soda and popcorn) and together - built a life that is silmutaneously amazing and boring, full of energy and stress and overwhelming happiness and stress.

Happy twenty third Anniversary, Babe. Here's to twenty -three more.

Comments

[Headless Mom]

*clink* a toast to twenty three!

[Shelly]

Congratulations! Here is to many, many more years!

We celebrated 25 this year. Not many get long these days.

[Cheryl]

Great post! Congratulations on 23 wonderful years together!

[Glenda]

Happy happy 23 years!

[KarenP]

Happy 23rd! I have a husband like that too. Always wants to look on the positive side. After being married for 39 years and together for 42 you would think he would know looking on the positive side of things is just not how I am wired....(Also as a side note he cannot comprehend what it feels like to have a headache. I have offered to hit him in the head just so he would know what it feels like to have a headache.)

[addy]

Happy 23 - may there be 23 more to come.

[JMB]

Congratulations! And many happy more years together. I love the picture of both of you. God Bless you.

[Tara]

It's nice to hear a story like yours. You beat the odds, if you listen to marriage experts. Congratulations!

[Kyooty]

Happy Anniversary!!!:)

[DebB]

Congratulations! We are just a couple years behind you, but riding a similar rollercoaster ;) Much happiness to you both and joy from each other and the beautiful family you have built together.

[Sandy]

Congrat on 23! The hub and I celebrated 23 in November. I too am the more high maintenance partner and he is the calming optimist!! Opposites attract. Wishing you many, many more years filled with joy!!!

[Sonja]

Congratulations! In this day and age when celebrity couples hog the headlines with stories of divorce after 2 - 5 years because of "irreconcilable differences", a story like yours is a breath of fresh air.
I had to tell you, though, that my story is very similar to yours! Hubs and I met in June of 1991. I lost my job shortly after we met and he was my knight in shining armor, who helped me deal with a very unexpected firing. I moved in with him 3 months after that, we got engaged and were married in July of 1992. We probably would have been married sooner if my parents hadn't been flipping out!! In hindsight we should have just eloped.
We have also had MANY ups and downs, many times when I thought we might not make it. But 20 years later, here we are. And we still like each other! I know other couples who have been together this long but they really don't like each other much.
Hope you two do something special to celebrate.
And KarenP - WOW!! Congrats to you too!!

[Mary @ A Simple Twist of Faith]

He's a great guy and you two make a great couple.

[Consolata]

Whoops!23 is a very long time to be together. Kudos to both of you in this day and age where marriages are packing up faster than they happen. I hope to achieve this great feat too. A hearty congratulations on your wedding anniversary and I wish you many more years.