He Said

A guest post from the man.

Sixteen years is not a lifetime. Hopefully for most it’s just a fraction of one. I guess it depends on what you pack into those sixteen years that makes it seem as though it flew by or that you’d never make it to that point in life. I stood there and watched my wife say yes to a lifetime with me, and watched her grow in love as the years have gone on. I’ve seen her give birth three times, to three of the best young men you could ask for, and watched her grow in motherhood not because she had to but because she wanted too. I’ve seen her give up things that she wanted to do, that she could have done, because the opportunity to be a wife and a mother overtook any other dream she had. I’ve seen her excited as she flourished as a writer, with that excitement being coupled with long nights of painstakingly pouring out her emotion on paper to see that dream come true. I’ve watched her adore her parents, and love mine as if they were her own. I’ve seen her love this world when it was unlovely. I’ve seen her befriend those that are unfriendly. I’ve looked into her eyes when life handed us blessings, and family, and friends. I’ve looked into her eyes as I gently shaved the hair from her head that had not yet fallen out. I’ve watched her fight, when she wanted to give up. I watched her climb out of despair again and again, only to gain joy and strength and a love for life again. I’ve watched sixteen years with this woman come and go in the blink of an eye, and my overwhelming thought is that it went too quickly. I wouldn’t trade a moment with her for anything, and I am looking forward to many more years to come. Good, bad. Hard, easy. It’s all worth living if you’re with the one you love. Happy anniversary Serenity, I love you.