Best Laid Plans and All That

Today, December 21, 2013, is a really important and big day. It’s the eleventh anniversary of the day that Jessica and I were married. So much has happened in eleven years, we have both grown and changed in lots of ways. Five amazing children have joined our family. We have both finished school and begun careers (more in this later). We have bought and sold a condo, and bought a house. We’ve filled that house with books and toys, and also pets; over the years we’ve has one dog, two cats, three birds, and three mice.

Eleven years ago, as we prepared for this day, I think we envisioned our subsequent anniversaries as days that we would spend together, doing things as a couple all day long and reveling in each others’ company. Of course, eleven years ago, we didn’t know that I would be pursuing a career in management with See’s Candies. We thought that I would be working as a teacher, and that I would very likely be done with the semester by this time, and that would afford us an anniversary that would begin an annual break from work.

Instead, our anniversary falls on one of the busiest candy shopping days of the year, and therefore, today, instead of hanging out with Jessica all day, I am at See’s. Right now I am on my lunch break, blogging on a cell phone, and singing Jack Johnson’s “Do You Remember” to myself, as I look forward to this evening when Jessica’s sweet mom will watch the kids so we can go to dinner and celebrate.

This is, by far, not the idealistic way to celebrate that we dreamed of over a decade ago, but that shouldn’t be surprising. I don’t think any of the details we dreamed our marriage would be have really played out the way we imagined. But what has happened over these years is so much more, and in reality so much better, than those dreams. Our love for each other has grown, it has evolved, and has been refined. We are stronger and more sincere in our affection for each other. We count that among the greatest blessings that we could ever have.

To quote the always inspiring Jack Johnson, “Over ten years have gone by. We can’t rewind, we’re locked in time, but you’re still mine.”

Love you, Jess. See you tonight.