Taking the Silver

“To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But it is a hard quest worth making to find a comrade through whose steady presence one becomes steadily the person one desires to be.”
-Anna Louise Strong

My husband and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. I believe we both deserve medals -- silver, of course.

When the day rolled around, it didn't seem any different than all of the other anniversaries we've celebrated. But that is key now isn't it? "All of the other anniversaries we've celebrated." First, fifth, seventh, tenth, fifteenth, twentieth ... and we're still together and just as committed as the day we took our vows...

...the day we made a promise.

It was rather easy for both of us to make the promise. We wanted to be married. Of course the "fireworks" helped.

To keep the promise year after year is more difficult. It is hard work. And sometimes the fireworks are exchanged for rockets that are launched at each other. But we work through the problems and keep the promise. We know it is better than loneliness and it is always worth it.

It is worth it because together we learn from our mistakes and become wiser through our troubles. We are there with and for each other as we go through this process. There is no fear that the other will leave as we struggle to love each other more perfectly.

We are two yet always one.

Now for the gold...