Twenty years of marriage. It feels like we are only getting started, and it also feels like a lifetime. How is it that twenty years can feel like both a split second and the majority of life at once?
Where most people choose to celebrate with fancy dinners or even a vacation, we chose to play. The first meal we shared was at Dave & Buster's in Nashville, TN. It seemed fitting we would return to the same restaurant since it opened near our house in Texas. As we are prone to doing, we laughed. We ate then played, and laughed so much my face hurt. I didn’t even mind the fact Andy kept taking my turn during some games. When I told him to wait his turn, he quickly responded, “I am the youngest of 6 kids, I will go whenever there is an opportunity to do so!” I am still laughing at his exuberance as we moved from one game to another.
I will be honest in telling you we have very little figured out when it comes to life and marriage. How have we stayed married for 20 years? We chose to stay married. On days we weren’t sure we wanted to continue, we chose to anyway. On days we were annoyed, unhappy, or dealing with unmet expectations, we chose to stay. Sorry, there is no grand advice or words of wisdom. We celebrated 20 years of marriage because we chose to do so.
Every day has not been filled with fun and laughter. Some days felt like all out war (we are both the youngest children, what did we expect?). We have questioned and yelled, and we have prayed and cheered. We challenge one another, and sometimes annoy the mess out of one another. But it has been worth it. It has been worth making the choice to stay, and to keep laughing.
I’ll let him take my turns at games if it means I get to keep laughing with him for another twenty years.