15 Years - 15 Things I'm thankful for

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. Fifteen years. It seems like a long time, but it feels like no time at all. There are so many things I could say about marriage in general and about my marriage specifically. Advice I'd give or advice I wish I'd been given. There are so many funny stories I could tell. I could fill whole pages on resentment, forgiveness, what's important, what's not but seems it. I could tally up the hours spent working together, sleeping together, laughing together, and even fighting together. So many hours and minutes, and yet, I still feel newly married. I'm still learning what it means to be a wife, to be right and truly married. I'm learning what I can do better and what I need to let go of. And not a day goes by, honestly, that I don't feel grateful for this husband, this marriage, this life that I chose.


Last year I wrote a list of 14 things we do right in our marriage. This year, I've written my husband a list of 15 things I'm thankful for:




1. That you clean the bathroom and do most of the dishes. If it weren't for you, we'd have to hire someone. :)


2. That you're good at saying "thank you" and "I'm sorry."


3. That you're way better at sharing than I am. Thanks for always letting me have the last French fries in the sack.

4. That you do something almost every day to make that day special. Whether it's going out to eat, sharing a snack, watching a favorite black and white sci fi movie, you can make any old Tuesday into a small vacation.

5. That you get sad when we don't spend time together. Even though it makes me feel a teensy bit guilty, I like that you like to be with me that much.

6. That you miss me while we're at work. (Because I miss you, too.)

7. That you still think I'm pretty--and you say it.

8. That you respect my reading obsession and my need for time alone.

9. That you encourage me, pray for me, and take care of me.

10. That you'll drop everything to help me if I need it. I'm not as good at this, I know.

11. That you don't expect me to wait on you. You can do laundry, cook, clean, sew on buttons, and run errands without my help, though I like it when you let me do things for you.

12. That you push us to do special things even though they require a lot of time, energy, planning, and sometimes money. (Like going to Chicago.) I'm not always good at accepting your ideas right away, but I'm working on that. 

Photos taken outside Art Institute (museum) in Chicago. One of my favorite places.

13. That you genuinely want to know what I'm thinking. And that you know me so well.

14. That you let me poke fun at you and laugh along. Like your amp obsession or those lounge pants you hemmed too short.

15. That your smile still lights up not only your face but mine too.

Happy anniversary, sweetheart! Even though we've had some difficult times, I can still say I never expected marriage to bring me this much joy, be this much fun, or feel this easy. I love you, Bing.