Eight

Eight years ago today, Jeff and I became husband and wife. I may no longer have the rainbow and fairy tale ideals of my youth, but I do know that Jeff and I were made for one another. We balance one another out in so many ways. I'm extroverted, while he leans more toward the introverted side. I'm impulsive, where he thinks things through and isn't ruled by his emotions. I sometimes live in a fantasy world, while he is more of a realist. We've been through a lot these past eight years. Probably more than most couples go through in a marriage as young as ours. Looking back, we so easily could be divorced or at the very least, at one another's throats, after what we've endured. The key, though, is that we've endured. We've faced every challenge as a united front. From his business partnership crumbling, to suffering the losses of five special grandparents, to struggling through the challenge of self-employment, and the biggest of them all, the premature birth of Cadence and Madeline, we've managed to continue that balance. Throughout the entirety of Cadie and Maddie's hospital stays, Jeff was a rock. He never waivered, though I know he had to have been suffering inside. I, on the other hand, was an emotional mess, save for one moment. I don't remember the details, though I'm sure we'd been presented with another decision or another setback, but for that one moment, Jeff was the one who broke down. And what was I? I, for once, was the rock. Balance. In the presence of all the wonderful things that make up our marriage -- laughter, affection, admiration, respect, generosity -- balance is what holds our marriage strongly together, never wavering no matter what we face. And, it's why I know we will have many more years of marriage to enjoy. Eight is just the beginning.