Three years ago today…

I’m going to repost this from last year – with the dates updated – in honor of today’s wedding anniversary. Mostly because every time I sit down to write something, I’m essentially rewriting what I’ve written below.

Three years ago today, Justyna and I were married. We tend to dismiss our wedding anniversary and instead focus on the anniversary of our first date (six years together this March).

I believe a lot of that had to do with the fact that everything happened so quickly for the two of us. Our first date was on Easter (no small feat in Poland) and I was meeting her parents two weeks later. A month after that, we were already talking about moving in together, and within six months we’d have the apartment we have now. On our first anniversary, we were engaged. From there, it was her finishing her MA work, a trip to America for her to be completely overwhelmed by my sprawling family, and then a wedding that was celebrated on two continents. By the time we exchanged the vows, it felt like we had already spent a life together.

The morning after our wedding, we stumbled home with a car full of presents and a happy dog stuffed with foods he had never imagined. Entering our home, our life felt secure and established, and with the wedding behind us, we could continue to do what we had already been doing with rings on our fingers.

I know that’s not terribly romantic. But the reality is, when I saw my future wife that first evening almost five years ago, I knew what was about to happen. There might as well have been a giant flashing neon arrow hovering over her when she walked through the door. Maybe it was the way she smiled at me or the look in her eyes, but it told me everything I needed to know. My smiling back at her was the moment when I promised to stay with her for the rest of my life. It didn’t need to be said, and that initial spark, that moment of epic recognition can’t possibly hold a candle to any marriage vow.

That said, I’m proud Justyna is my wife. I worry that I don’t show it enough; it’s so easy to take things for granted, especially when our life gets busy. But it’s all an adventure. Even when we have a lazy day together, it’s still an adventure. Lovers are like oceans and if you venture out far enough you’re bound to discover something new. And while those oceans may occasionally turn stagnant or rocky, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather go exploring with.

I love you, Justyna.