The Number 6

Have you ever found yourself somewhere at sometime in your life and thought to yourself, "how the hell did I wind-up here?"  There I was, in Catholic University's basketball gymnasium, in silence.  The gym was empty and the lights were dimmed.  My husband was taking our son, Connor, to the restroom.  Chelsea was running all over the massive gymnasium with reckless abandon, just enjoying the expansive space.  "Oh, I know how I landed in this random location and this point in my life, let's go back in time"...........

9 1/2 years ago I met a man that captured my heart so intensely that I knew my life could never be the same after meeting him.  The desire to spend my days and life with him were so strong that time apart from him would cause a deep ache in my heart.  Lucky for me, that man shared the same feelings and 3 1/2 years later, we were married.  Fast forward 6 years, and there I am in a semi-lit gymnasium of the college that my husband attended.  Saturday was our 6 year wedding anniversary, and we spent a part of the day at Catholic University's campus for the homecoming celebration.  My husband was a goalie for the soccer team many moons ago, and our anniversary coincided with their homecoming soccer game.  We spent Saturday like we would have spent any other day..........with our children and enjoying the company of friends.  Hands down, it was one of my favorite anniversaries to date, and we didn't do anything special, but the day sure felt incredibly special.  To spend the day with my favorite person by my side watching the children that we brought into this world enjoying themselves, was perfect!  We smiled more and held hands quite a bit and we told each other how much we loved and appreciated one another = doesn't get better than that!

Anniversaries are really amazing if you think about it, it's a celebration of 2 human beings that came together to spend their days as one.  They have to agree on big & small things in life......where to live, how to manage their finances, how to raise children, where to spend holidays, who'll clean what & when, who'll cook, and on occasion, they have to get through hardships together.  They also get to experience so many incredible joys that life has to offer together as well, from births to memorable vacations, new homes, holidays, the company of friends and family.  Every anniversary is a celebration of another year of working together as a team; you've had to put your marriage first in your life and work to make one another happy no matter what life throws at you, good or bad, you're in it together!

I frequently tell my husband that he's like a limb to me.  He gives me a hard time about referring to him as an appendage, but it really is a compliment.  Think about it, if someone asked you one morning to not use your left leg all day, you'd quickly realize a couple of things, 1) You need that leg ALL day long 2) You use that leg without hesitation and don't ask it to be there for you, you just assume & know it will be and 3) You realize all of the amazing things you've accomplished and can accomplish with the help of that leg as part of you........walking, running, kicking, hiking.  That's my husband, he's my left leg, I appreciate him everyday, but on my anniversary (the day I was asked not to use my leg), I think about how much I need his assistance to get through this life, whether it's a shoulder to cry on, someone to grocery shop, someone to love my children with me.  I also realize how much I rely on him, but never ask, I just anticipate that he'll be there for me.  Most importantly, I realize all of the amazing things that I have accomplished and will accomplish with him in my life.  He makes my life so much better!

So, on that late Saturday afternoon in the silence of the gymnasium, I was given a couple of minutes to reflect on my relationship with Todd and knew exactly how I got to this random location at this point in my life.  It was that incredible man that captured my heart 9 1/2 years ago that led me to where I am today and provided me with all that I have, and I sure am grateful for him!

This was our wedding song, and if I were asked to choose a song today, I would pick the same one without hesitation, he loves me just the way I am & vice versa!  Nobody told us 6 years ago that marriage would get better every year and that has been one of the sweetest (unexpected) treats of marriage so far.  I'm excited to see what our future holds!  Love you babe, Happy Anniversary!

Here's a picture of Chels running the gym, free at last!