Today is my parent's wedding anniversary. The day that joined the two people who shaped me into the person I am today. I tend to worry about my dad on ceremonial days like today. But the one thing that the last few years have shown me is that my dad is stronger and more resilient than I ever thought possible. So today, instead of worrying I am going to take a few moments and honor the union of two of the people I love the very most in this World.
I wouldn't say my parent's marriage was always easy but it was always honest and it was always grounded in love. It set the example for me of what a relationship, a partnership, a family should be.
There was compromise and compassion, teamwork and communication. They complimented each other - my mom's fiery and outgoing personality with my dad's more understated dry wit and charm.
When they would get dressed up and leave us with a babysitter for a night out I swore they were the most glamorous people in the world. My mom with her high heels clicking on the tile floors, lipstick freshly applied, perfume in the air. My dad in a freshly pressed shirt, hair perfectly combed and the cologne that always made him smell freshly showered. The picture of a perfect young couple.
As the years passed and I grew up some of that shine faded away and I got glimpses into the every day or their relationship and the glamor was replaced by something even more amazing -- unconditional love. Love in the face of struggles. Love in spite of adversity. Love for each others best attributes and the others ability to see beyond the worst.
I am grateful that these are my parents. I am grateful that they believed in each other. I am thankful that they constantly choose love, no matter how hard it could get. And I am grateful that they let me see their marriage at its best and hardest moments. They taught me that two is better than one, that love is worth the work, that even when things are hard the climb back to the top can be the most rewarding.
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