Today my husband (Nik) and I are celebrating our sixteenth wedding anniversary. I use the word “celebrating” very loosely because, well… (1) we are both working today, and (2) we aren’t particularly “celebrate-y” people. He’s been a cop for as long as I’ve known him and Murphy’s Law dictated that he work every holiday. So for the first decade or so we usually celebrate holidays on the next day he is off work. We don’t have much planned this year – we never do anymore. Our idea of celebrating is spending quality time together…like hiking…or napping. We are, however, taking our daughter with us on a family date for teppanyaki this weekend.
According to Almighty Google, the sixteenth year of marriage is the Wax and Silver Holloware anniversary…primarily candles and silver platters. I read that holloware is “constructed for durability” and I suppose that is pretty fitting. We’ve been through the ups and downs just like everyone else. While sometimes it feels like we’ve had more than our fair share of “downs,” I supposed most people feel that way. Sometimes the “downs” seem like the Pit of Despair, but the “ups” really do make it worth it.
Like the time…
- He ate two helpings of lemon-saturated stir-fry the first time I cooked for him…before I found out he hates lemon.
- He drove an hour each way to bring me a soda at work because I was having a rough day.
- He drove me two hours each way to my graduate classes whenever he could just to spend time with me and so I didn’t have to drive alone…for two years.
- He “paid” most of my burpees for me at the Spartan races when I couldn’t complete some of the obstacles.
- He sat down on the floor and made amends with our one-year-old rottweiler after she ate his ballistic vest.
- I was 9 months pregnant laying on the couch with what felt like indigestion. I asked him to sit by me …only to throw up as soon as he sat down. Did I mention he can’t stand vomit?
- He took our daughter horseback riding even though he’s highly allergic to horses…and nearly every type of grass.
- He’s been working overtime so I could take a hiatus from work to make a career change.
Don’t get me wrong – it has not been all sunshine and daisies…but that’s not my focus today. All relationships are hard because they take a lot of hard work from both sides. I’m lucky enough that he still thinks he’s got the better end of the bargain, despite my flaws. But he will always be my better half.
Happy Anniversary, Babe! I love you!! And in the words of Halestorm, “Here’s To Us.”
Original Post 03.26.2021.
Discover more from HL Contreras
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.