2007/07/18 22:20
Twenty-Four
Over the course of the last few entries, I've alluded to the best thing to ever happen to me. Sed was another orientation leader, and from the moment she laid eyes on me she knew we'd be together. I was not so fortuitously endowed (you know how it is, guys, you're always the last one to find these things out) until, during a party at the end of the summer, she leaned over and whispered those seven fateful words in my ear:
"You know I'm crazy about you, right?"
It was all downhill from there. Not in the bad way; our relationship has been a smooth ride down a shallow slope with relatively few obstacles. I'm not saying what we have is perfect, because no long-term human interaction can be, but it's pretty darn close.
We weathered our storms. A guy she'd known before tried to wedge between us. My most recent ex-girlfriend worked very hard at making me jump ship and go back to her. And of course there was that whole year abroad thing. But we came out on the other side just like a well-tied sailor's knot: a bit battered and shabby, perhaps, but fused ever tighter by the tension and the maelstrom lashing around us.
We exchanged vows on June 15, 2002. I know; three years (adjusting for Japan) isn't really that long to know each other in the grand scheme of things. It was certainly not impossible that one of us had simply not yet discovered a deal-breaking flaw in the other. Of course, it's also not impossible for a human to fly. Technically.
Sed and I have always been totally open and honest with each other. A serious relationship cannot survive without serious communication, and that's not possible without honesty. Sometimes it hurts, sure, but our relationship is better for it. And it serves to prove that anything is possible if you're willing to compromise. With her, I am. (Hey, I'm in Florida, after all. Bet you didn't see that coming.)
Five years later, I'm confident that the deal-breakers are a thing of the past. I love my wife, and she loves me. We have a beautiful daughter and a willingness to work together to give her and each other the best life possible. What more can a guy ask?
"You know I'm crazy about you, right?"
It was all downhill from there. Not in the bad way; our relationship has been a smooth ride down a shallow slope with relatively few obstacles. I'm not saying what we have is perfect, because no long-term human interaction can be, but it's pretty darn close.
We weathered our storms. A guy she'd known before tried to wedge between us. My most recent ex-girlfriend worked very hard at making me jump ship and go back to her. And of course there was that whole year abroad thing. But we came out on the other side just like a well-tied sailor's knot: a bit battered and shabby, perhaps, but fused ever tighter by the tension and the maelstrom lashing around us.
We exchanged vows on June 15, 2002. I know; three years (adjusting for Japan) isn't really that long to know each other in the grand scheme of things. It was certainly not impossible that one of us had simply not yet discovered a deal-breaking flaw in the other. Of course, it's also not impossible for a human to fly. Technically.
Sed and I have always been totally open and honest with each other. A serious relationship cannot survive without serious communication, and that's not possible without honesty. Sometimes it hurts, sure, but our relationship is better for it. And it serves to prove that anything is possible if you're willing to compromise. With her, I am. (Hey, I'm in Florida, after all. Bet you didn't see that coming.)
Five years later, I'm confident that the deal-breakers are a thing of the past. I love my wife, and she loves me. We have a beautiful daughter and a willingness to work together to give her and each other the best life possible. What more can a guy ask?
