First Year Anniversary: Reflections

Yes, my first year wedding anniversary was two months ago. And yes, we celebrated in grand style with dinner at St. Elmo’s and an overnight stay at The Alexander. Not Tahiti, but still pretty nice for two full-time graduate students. Oh! And we got an adorable anniversary cake from Hall’s Takes The Cake (so much better than freezing the top layer!).

I knew that I wanted to write about our first year of marriage, but for some reason, I’ve been putting it off. Waiting. For something deep and intentional and pin-worthy. I’ve been blog-stalking quite a few marriage blogs lately and all the topics seem a bit serious, like “How to Communicate Your Way to a Better Marriage” or “5 Common Sex Problems in Marriage to Be Aware of”. I am sure posts like these are very helpful and I may even want to read them some day. But not now.

Because, right now, my marriage is not very serious. In fact, right now, my marriage is pretty blissful and beautiful.

But I wasn’t sure if anyone wants to read about that. About how I still try to get out of as many things possible so I can stay home and snuggle my Husband or about how I love the feeling of our legs wrapped around each other as we fall asleep. About how much I appreciate it when he proofreads my papers, helps me figure out Excel, and irons my shirts for class. Or how I love our kitchen teamwork (he chops and I sauté) and how I am so happy when he goes to the grocery while I plan the meals. Or how we learned how to completely avoid most common martial arguments by simply having separate bathrooms, dividing the chores, and reviewing our schedules with each other in advance. I savor the realization that our marriage brings a perfect combination of freedom and safety while still complimenting my feminist values.

So, now you know: our first year of marriage didn’t bring anything crazy or earth shattering, but instead, brought the gentle conclusion that I am more in love than ever before. Almost to the point when considering being away from Husband for any long period of time makes me feel incredibly sad. Not because I’m dependent on him, but because his presence makes my life that much better. And I like it when my life is better!

I’ve finally put away the wedding magazines and have stopped the daily review of all our ceremony pictures, but I am still a happy bride. Year 2? Bring it on!