15 Years

Dear Hub,

The first decision we made after getting engaged was what the first song would be that we would dance to as husband and wife. Actually, you said it, right away, without hesitation. I don't think we'd been engaged even an hour before you brought it up, a twinkle in your eye. And our first wedding decision was officially made.

The truth is, none of the details of our wedding really mattered to me: the venue, the dress, the menu, the music. None of those things mattered. I hadn't been a girl who had dreamt of exactly what I wanted my wedding to look like. I didn't care if we had monogrammed napkins. I didn't care who baked our wedding cake. I didn't care what kind of flowers would compose my bouquet. Only one thing mattered: who I would be marrying, who God had hand-picked as my partner for the rest of my life. 

I always told people, back then, during that year of our engagement: "I don't care if I'm standing in an alley, wearing a brown paper bag. All that matters is that I get to marry him." The stuff of the wedding? All those minute details? They didn't matter. YOU mattered. WE mattered. And so, on June 26, 2004, YOU and ME became WE. 

Fifteen years. Wow. We have battled our way back from low lows and high-fived over high highs. We have laughed and cried and shouted and apologized. We have compromised and stood our ground, held hands and held grudges. We have forgiven and forgotten. We have learned, and we have grown. We have come out stronger in the end, together. Always together. 

Rich, thank you for knowing me and loving me like only you can. Thank you for pushing me and challenging me. Thank you for forgiving me and honoring me. Thank you for leading me and encouraging me. Thank you adventuring with me and couch night-ing with me. 

Thank you for being the best part of our WE. 

Here's to our next 15 years together: through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, we'll be in it all, together. 

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do

They're really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow

They'll learn much more than I'll never know

And I think to myself what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world

Yours forever, 

Wif