He’s Still the One – Ten Year Anniversary!

Looks like we made it
Look how far we’ve come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we’d get there someday

They said, “I bet they’ll never make it”
But just look at us holding on
We’re still together still going strong

(Shania Twain – You’re Still The One)

We were engaged our freshman year of college after exactly 6 months of dating, of which 5 of those months were spent at colleges 10 hours apart. Tony did not know when he woke up that January morning of our winter break that he was going to ask me to marry him. There was no ring. My college friends had joked that I would come back engaged. In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined.

Throughout the course of our tortuously long 2.5 year engagement (while I was voraciously flying through course work because I wanted to get my degree almost as much as I wanted to get married) we had several people tell us how crazy we were, and that it would never work.

The Shania Twain song shared at the beginning of this post was popular at the time, and to this day when I hear it I feel the determination mount up inside me, just like it did back then. “We will make it people.”

It’s good to be reminded of that determination because life has a way of making it wane: 2 miscarriages, a battle with pornography, a house that wouldn’t sell, a busted open head from a rugby match, a cross-country move, a stolen u-haul, an unfortunate and sudden$11,000 debt, a job lay-off, wanes in faith, a trying red-bull career, a baby having seizures, a call to ministry questioned, a meth house that wasn’t disclosed, car break-ins, dangerously big asks for money, angry noodles and the list goes on and on.

But there is another list. The list of all the good that has happened. The list of milestones, miracles and maturing. The list that gives us hope, that propels us ever on with that renewed determination so necessary in a marriage.

Today I celebrate 10 years with the man I said yes to as a college freshman. Today I honor and applaud the God that has poured grace and love over us, weaving us into a union despite us being two broken, strong-headed, independent people.

Today I reminisce on a sacred history that has been written despite all odds. I am even more in love today, even more smitten, even more determined and hopeful. Today I am undeniably glad that he is still the one.

Thank you Tony for inviting me along on this adventure. You give me the good life.