Anniversary

Today is E's and my second anniversary. It's been a pretty eventful two years, obviously. My second anniversary doesn't really look like what I thought it would look like, and yet it's a very satisfying time. Some of my dreams haven't quite come true yet, but the biggies have, in spades.

My whole life, I've been a hopeless romantic. From my earliest memories, I dreamed of finding that one person to fall in love with and build a life with. Maybe it's because, despite often driving each other crazy, my parents had a very passionate and love filled relationship. Maybe it's because my grandparents had the kind of love story you don't think really happens unless/until you've witnessed it. But whatever the reason, it consumed me, this desire to find love. I read romance novels voraciously. I couldn't get enough of romantic movies (I mean...probably not that many 14 year olds in the 1990's had crushes on Gene Kelly - am I right?).

By the time I was 28, I'd gone through a lot of not right guys. There were guys who were not very nice to me, guys who brought out the not very nice side of me, and guys who seemed perfect, but weren't right for me. It always seemed like I'd get right to the brink - right to the point when I'd think, "Maybe..." and it would promptly fall apart. Even E and I, the first time we dated, got to the point when I thought, "Hey, I like this guy," and then it fell apart. In September, 2004, I wrote in my journal, describing exactly the man I was looking for. I described a couple of physical features (smiley eyes, a kind smile) and many, many non-physical attributes. One week after I wrote that entry, E reappeared in my life. And I think that, on some level, I knew right when he reappeared that he was the one for me. Of course, I didn't admit it for a while. I put him through his paces first.

As soon as we decided to be together, I was struck by how easy it was to be together. All the angst that had been part of my previous relationships just wasn't there. Even when I screwed up, which we all inevitably do in the early stages of a relationship, things got resolved easily, with good and satisfying communication. Whenever I had doubts or questions, E would do whatever needed doing to answer those questions or disspell those doubts. I gave many tests and he passed them all; I threw up many obstacles and he cleared them with what seemed like minimal effort. For the first time, I felt safe and secure in a relationship. I felt loved.

My whole life, I had dreamed of having someone throw me a surprise party. I mean DREAMED of it. Kind of obsessively. For my 30th birthday, E did just that. He threw me a HUGE surprise party, full of family and friends. And in the middle of it, he surprised me again by dropping ot his knee, pulling my dream engagement ring out of his pocket, and asking me to marry him. I remember that moment so vividly - the image of the ring, and the thought that I couldn't believe this was really happening to me.

Eleven months after that, on December 2, 2006, we got married. That day was everything a wedding day should be. It was happy, it was fun, it was the beginning of the newest chapter of our life together. If I could relive one day in my life, I'm pretty sure I'd choose that one. It was the day that my best friend, the love of my life, became my husband. What could be better than that?

Two months into our marriage, I got pregnant. It was sooner than we'd planned, and sooner than I probably would've wanted, but isn't the best part of life the fact that sometimes the things we don't plan, don't even know we want, turn out to be dreams come true?

So, although I still have dreams that have yet to come true, my two dearest dreams - to be a wife and to be a mother, already have. And today is a celebration of that. So, thanks to my amazing husband for fulfilling a hopeless romantic's life long dream of true love.