I’ve been married for 5 years now. We have been together for 8 years and living together for 7 1/2. Before we started dating and were young, neither of us had any real responsibilities, life was a day to day come what will. Both careless and misguided . Both of us in our own separate lives had no real direction and had no intentions of settling down. I was in fact never going to get married and never have children. That just wasn’t for me, wasn’t in my plans, or cards. I never wanted to be anything but wild and I thought that’s what was going to make my life amazing. I was going to be this free spirited, non grown up adult that lived for the moment. Why change the constant blur of a party life I was living? Selfish and stupid, that’s what I was. It’s amazing how your perspective on life changes when you find the right person. How easily your world falls into place just by being with each other. In the time since we have been together, we have built a wonderful life, three beautiful little boys, a big house in the suburbs on the North Shore of Chicago, we own and run our own company, and still love each other just as much and even more every day. My husband is truly my best friend. He’s the only one that will still think I’m perfect when I’m at my darkest. Still talk to me after I’ve said things I regret. He is the only one that knows me for who I was, am and will be, and never judged me or doubted me. Even though there are bad times, and some sad times, there are so many amazing and perfect times, and laughs and falling in love again in new ways. He’s my constant, and my steady. He is my biggest supporter. He gives me encouragement in everything I do, things big and small. We are growing together, and for every moment meant to tear two people apart we move past it, and are stronger than we were before. I’m fortunate to have found unconditional love. Im not perfect, neither is he. We make mistakes and we act crazy at times. We sometimes but rarely didn’t put each other first, but never let it happen again. There is still so much of life left to live and we will probably go through some rough patches, but I know that we will always be us. I know it’s never going to change, because when he looks at me, even when I am exhausted and have had the worst day with the kids and I look like a complete wreck and I’m at my absolute worst, that look, is still like I am the most beautiful woman in the world. Like he looked at me when we first started dating, when I walked down the isle, when we had our first son and second and third. When the world is against me, he is my rock. He makes everything ok, and even if it’s not, ok, he sure makes it feel like it doesn’t have to be anymore. He will stop me in the hallway, grab my waist and kiss me, and it will sweep me off my feet. He makes me happy even when I am angry. He makes me smile when all I want to do is cry. Any person can get under your skin and any two people can fight, but when all that is said and done and you can still kiss each other goodnight and let all that just fall away and start over, that’s something so special. There’s something about our love that is never ordinary. Say what you will about either one of us, it doesn’t matter, because all that matters is that we always have one another. I’m so lucky I get to spend my life in such a way. And I’m so grateful my kids will get to see what true love is.
