Anniversary #2

[Last week]

Steven: Guess what next Tuesday is!!?
Rachel: Our anniversary!!
Steven: Oh yeah. I actually meant National Night Out - Free pizza!!
Rachel: Win.

One of the many reasons Steven and I are good together: We both appreciate free food more than birthdays and anniversaries.

Last night we celebrated both our anniversary AND free food (Thanks, Aunt Lynda!) with the other August Anniversaries in our family (my sister and grandparents). There were 63 years of marriage sitting around the table. I can't tell you how much I appreciate having a heritage of strong marriage in our families.

I spent the summer leading up to our wedding with my grandparents. They are wise and wonderful people. One of the many things they shared with me was about their decision to be the kind of couple who holds hands and walks through life together rather than being antagonistic toward each other or letting themselves grow apart.

That made an impression on me. I shared it with Steven, and we too decided to be that type of couple. Two years later, you will still find us holding hands whenever possible - driving in the car, sitting in church, standing in line, watching a movie, falling asleep in bed...(you creeping on us in our bed is a little, well, creepy).  It's a little more tricky now that one or the other of us is often holding a tiny human, but we usually find a way. Usually I love to hold his hand. Sometimes it's a habit that I don't even think about. Other times I don't feel like doing it but I chose to anyways because of what it represents.

Two of the many reasons I love Steven: his hands. And his willingness to hold mine all.the.time.

Here is an excerpt from the record I kept during the summer I stayed with my grandparents. It shows not only how well my grandparents have knit their lives together, but also another valuable lesson I learned from them - baking bread.

After breakfast, I watched them start a loaf of bread. In order to prepare myself to make bread for my new husband, I asked them to explain their method. “He adds the dry stuff, I do the wet. I don’t know anything about that flour and oats business.” Grammy answered matter of factly. “That’s cute! So you can’t bake bread without each other?” I responded. “No. Of course not. It’s not cute; it’s what works.” They had a rhythm in the kitchen. Like they were composing a song of bread together. They know the song so well.

Steven and I have been married for two years today. I don't believe I'm exaggerating when I say they have been the happiest two years of my life. We get along so well and are so comfortable with each other that it feels as if we have been married for much longer than just two years. I know there is still a lifetime of things to learn about each other. I look forward to knowing each other as well as my grandparents seem to know each other. But I think I'll enjoy the process and not rush the 'growing old' part of growing old together. ;)

Steven, thank you for choosing me to love for life. Thank you for being a snuggler, always kissing me goodbye and hello before and after work, helping out around the house, being patient with my clumsiness, enjoying chick flicks with me, valuing my company, including me in your life, and loving our daughter. I love your mind and your thought processes, your desire to serve God and people, your sense of humor, and your work ethic.

We are blessed to have found each other.