Sons Like You
Today is our 7 year anniversary! 7 years. One of my friends was telling me recently that 7 years counts as some kind of marriage milestone…well, I guess every year does, but I’ll take it. I am so proud of us. So proud of the family we’ve created and the dreams we have conquered in these early, innocent years. Of the trials we have overcome, and of our undying commitment. Faithful to the warning, our marriage has not been easy, not free of work, and not perfect. But faithful to the promise, our marriage has been amazing, fruitful, and 100% worth it. He has accepted the worst in me, forgiven me seventy times seven, and has not left my side. He has pushed me in the right way, challenged my doubts and affirmed my joys. He has taken my dreams and made them his own. Literally, all of them. Even in the mom blog world, he is the one who encouraged me to write and set up my site!
What a beautiful, awe-inspiring thing a marriage really is. Equality but not sameness, my spiritual director likes to remind me. What about my career? What about my time? A selfish voice questions. Teamwork, Alex, says the prudent voice of reason. Togetherness, not competition. And magically his opposite temperament balances mine, and we come out stronger, more successful, than we could ever alone. Get your career in place, get your travels in, and your bucket list crossed off before you say I do. Oh, & definitely before the kids come. Hah, we’ve thankfully learned the disproof in that lie. I’ll keep it modest, but between the two of us in our 7 short years we’ve completed graduate degrees, built a business, traveled abound, formed ministries, moved to a dream home...and continued to cross off and add to our bucketlist in more ways than one! We accomplish more because of each other. We challenge each other, help each other, and our innate differences become a free course in personal growth, in learning how to love. This is what marriage can do.
But let's be honest, our biggest accomplishment together in these 7 years is by far our 3 beautiful sons. I have to pinch myself when I have a moment away and I'm looking at pictures on my phone. Look what we made together! What a miracle! Our little men. There is something special about being the only female in the house. It allows me to really see and appreciate their masculinity, (while they equally see & appreciate my femininity ;) I see how much our sons desire to be like their father, and am so thankful for that example that they have. Like I recently shared, there are good, good men in this world. Men worth fighting for, and men worth waiting for. I am one of the lucky ones to be married to one of them, and I want to be one of the courageous ones to raise more.
So while I reflect on the many lessons I've learned in our 7 years, the most important for me to tell my husband today is how - I hope our sons to be just like you. Through 7 years you have loved me unconditionally, provided me for me, and fought me. You have been forgiving, hardworking, faithful, and patient. You are attentive, fun, creative and goofy, always at the time we really need you to be! We are not perfect, and never will be. But I am so thankful our sons have you to watch and learn from in our imperfect marriage, as their imperfect example. I am so thankful you are the man they will grow wanting to be.
Happy anniversary my love. Thank you for everything you’ve given me through our 7 years, most especially for our sons, sons that I really hope turn out just like you.
