I dedicate today to a man I met 16 years ago, became engaged to after a four-month long-distance courtship and exchanged "I do's" with in a city known more for its tackiness, not its tradition.
Even though Mark and I won't spend today celebrating our marriage in Vegas, we'll still relive the moments that keep us together. Of course we'll begin with Jean-Claude who pronounced us man and wife just before midnight at the Candlelight Wedding Chapel; our first meal together--a $2.99 steak-n-eggs breakfast we shared before we boarded a plane to Colorado Springs where Mark would later pitch that evening. Yes, we spent our honeymoon in a Triple-A stadium. No fuss, no muss and it's pretty much remained that way without any regrets.
It’s impossible to sum up a decade-and-a-half with someone, but I still marvel at what I’m often reminded of.
We’ve survived and savored:
Cross-country and international months' long separations; living out of suitcases and sharing Venezuelan-roach-infested hotel rooms; residing in my in-law’s basement; arm surgery, breast surgery, brain surgeries; moving into our first home we’ve already created 12 years worth of memories in; dead ends and new beginnings; heated fights and even hotter reconciliations; the birth of a miracle daughter and son; challenging points of view and seeking refuge in separate rooms; compromising and down-sizing; expressing what needs to be said and appreciating the times when hugs say it all; the cheers and fears; and the laughter and tears.
And yes, the answer is still yes just like the first time you asked me on that Vancouver park bench if I believed in chemistry.
Happy Anniversary Mark!
