Here's what I love: 13 years!

Here's what I hate: Didn't quite have time to get this posted on our the actual day, but wanted to go ahead and post some of the thoughts I was having as we celebrated our anniversary this week.

A love note celebrating a very lucky 13 years.

Sweet Boy,

Thirteen years ago in early June, we were preparing for a wedding and we were anticipating a future.  Do you remember the wedding gifts we exchanged? (At the ever-romantic Jason’s Deli), I nibbled a salad and we each gave one another something silver…

You gave me a sterling comb and brush set just like the one I had growing up, but this one had what was to be my new monogram on it.  ECA.  New initials representing my new name—my new life to come.

I gave you a hammered silver ring from James Avery.  This was different from your wedding ring.  It was symbolic of the fact that you might end up feeling beat up or hammered in Medical School (which is where we were headed after our honeymoon), but that I would be there to encourage you, to smooth out the creases on your furrowed brow and massage your shoulders after being bent over in hours and hours of studying for anatomy. 

We looked ahead and realistically saw that there would be difficulties—hair tangles and hard days in medical school would come to fruition, but on June 5, 1999, we committed to walk through them (and many other challenges) together.

Last night, when we went out to dinner to celebrate our 13 years together, we did some reminiscing about our wedding and our honeymoon trip, but we also did some dreaming—some anticipating for the future. 

I love that no matter where we are living, what we are doing, or how old our kids are, that we will be together.  I anticipate that there may continue to be times of feeling knocked around.  We will face many more tangled messes as we forge ahead.  When I squint into the future, I can’t see exactly what will happen but I know we will be together.

And that makes me smile.

I love you dearly.

Even in all the dreams for the future, I have not ceased to be thankful for the Lord’s blessings in the past. 

But, most importantly, I am learning to live in the moment.  I will pause and look into your eyes and enjoy where we are right now. 

Love Always,

Elisabeth