Marriage: Year Seven

Jarod and I got married at very young ages and loved one another with such fierceness that others brushed off as “puppy love," which was their only logical explanation at the time. I knew then that the authenticity of our love would only be taken seriously years later.

September 2005.

The love we have for one another always existed; however, the strength of our marriage is only something I can marvel at now. We married with the presumption that, well, we’re going to do it anyways so now is as good of a time to do it as any (such a great reason, right?). Also, being a “good” girl, I didn’t want to be living with a man and sleeping with him if we weren’t committed in every sense of the word.

I know many others would brush the institution of marriage as just a legal document but it’s much more than that to me. But now, at the seventh year into our marriage, I fully understand it.

Chrismas Party 2011.

Living with someone else and sharing your life with them is amazing, wonderful and also, astronomically difficult. I have cried many tears wondering if I made the right decision, if this is the person I should be with, why is he acting like the biggest jerk right now, etc., ohh, the list goes on. Personally, I believe the majority of our problems in the past were based on the fact that we were really young and there were some very toxic people in our lives at the time. But would I go back to eighteen-year-old me and change things? Absolutely not. He’s amazing and we’re amazing together. If anything I would tell eighteen-year-old me to drag him to the altar much sooner (if that's at all possible) because this guy’s a keeper and marry him before he changes his mind!

Throughout the seven years we’ve been together, we have evolved into something I wasn’t aware of until it happened. We’ve learned to respect each other’s differences and quirks, really compromise on crucial life decisions, we’re learned how to fight in a very mature and constructive manner (we still work on this but overall, are really great at it) but most of all, I’ve learned and truly realized that no matter what happens we will be there for one another no matter what.

It’s really nice having that satisfaction because some days, especially with all the little ones we have, it’s hard to find common ground and even a single tender moment when we’re really kind to one another. Some days we are stressed the hell-out because of so many various outside reasons that us, (gulp) adults (it's still weird for me to place myself in that category), have to deal with. Life is crazy but I love knowing that at the end of the day, pissed-the-hell-off or not, I will have my best friend there and we will get through it. We will get through anything.