Two years ago today we said I do. It was pouring rain when I woke up at 6am because I was too anxious to sleep any longer. I sat out on the patio with a cup of coffee and my sister, talking about the day and our mutual excitement. Slowly the rain stopped, the temperature warmed up, and the clouds parted. The day was fast, but so perfect. I’ll never forget so many of the memories we made with all of our loved ones around us.
“I take you, to be mine. My partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish you today, tomorrow and forever. I will trust you and honor you; I will laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come, I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.”
These words have never been truer. It has been such a whirlwind with so many changes and hurdles…and blessings and incredible moments of happiness. We’ve built our home together, made budgets, ignored budgets, and had many friends and family to our home to really break it in. We’ve welcomed the most important person to our family and it’s impossible to imagine us without him. There have been tough decisions, expensive decisions and easy decisions; but all the way along we’ve chosen and decided together as a team.
I am definitely no marriage expert, nor would I ever pretend to be one but I do want to share some of my keys to success (so far at least)!
- Listen. Really, honestly listen. This is especially true when it comes to bringing a new life into the world. Listen to the pain points and the happy ones and truly share in each other’s feelings.
- Date each other. This one is cliché, but genuinely so true. Make time for just you two – even if it’s just an hour sitting together on the couch watching a show after the baby has gone to bed. Hold hands and flirt with each other and don’t forget why you fell in love in the first place.
- Spend time with your friends (together and separately). I can’t stress this one enough! It’s so important to maintain your independence and be supportive of your spouse’s as well. Sometimes they “just don’t get it” and it’s necessary to vent to your girlfriends. Do it, and don’t apologize for needing that space and time. It will help your relationship in the long run. Of course, if the problem is something with your sig other – duh, talk to them too. Communication is everything.
- Slow down. Conversely from my last point, this one is just as important. Time goes fast enough on it’s own… so it’s okay to say no to invites and just spend time together.
- Nurture each other’s passions. I can’t tell you how supportive Casey has been of this blog and I appreciate it so much. It’s been the most therapeutic outlet for me and I feel like I’ve finally found a way to bring the creativity I needed back into my life.
I could maybe list out 50 more of these but I’ll stop here. My point is, with every passing day – I feel so lucky to have found such a great partner in this crazy life. It’s not perfect, and we won’t pretend it is but we’re trying every day. To be happy, remember what’s important and love and support each other. All of those things we said in our vows are still promises we keep, even when sometimes we’re stressed or annoyed with things in our lives (and sometimes each other!).
Thanks for the best two years of my life, Casey – and cheers to many, many more. ❤
Staying Martha 