13th Wedding Anniversary Reflections

Thirteen years today! On another January 5 all those years ago, we ventured out on this journey called marriage… having absolutely no idea all that significant word entails. Some people are superstitious about the number 13. But from little league through high school sports, I always requested #13 as my jersey number. I suppose it was an “anti-superstition” statement of sorts. I never wanted to be drawn into the thinking that a shiny coin under my shoelace or a quirky routine on the pitcher’s mound might determine my fate. I’m so thankful for your heart and tenacity, @eileen_blume, and grateful that you brought that same perspective into our marriage. You said “yes” to my proposal on our first date — that was crazy! So how has such an unusual beginning worked out so well?! Because you never relied on the stars aligning; instead, you committed to loving, learning, and working hard for our relationship to grow! I love you more today than any time before. And yet the reality is that marriage is a challenge. To avoid conflict is easy, yet results in something shallow. You have engaged me, challenged me, and not shied away from our differences. You have held onto my hand, not only in affection but also at uneasy moments. Together, we have dug deeper even when doing so felt risky. Because of that, the love we have today is deeper and more meaningful than it would be otherwise. We are very different people than when we started out together. But we’ve made it our ambition to grow toward one another rather than apart. We are making our own luck! Happy anniversary, sweetheart.