It Was Ten Years Ago Today

It was ten years ago today.

A Friday night the week after Thanksgiving.

I’d just come back from Italy.

I wasn’t remotely interested in finding a boyfriend.  A relationship. 

I was at the Mucky Duck.

Listening to Jack-o-Pierce.

With my girlfriends. 

Wearing black leather pants and a long gray sweater. 

It’s this photograph in my mind.

Because then in you came. 

After the first show. 

With your brother. 

He came over to talk to us and you leaned against the bar and, I thought, paid no attention.

Then he introduced you.

I didn’t know at the time that I was supposed to be meeting him. 

Because I met you. 

With your jeans and your gorgeous green eyes. 

You weren’t remotely interested in finding a girlfriend.  A relationship. 

In fact, after ending relationships that spring, we were each fine on our own.

Since neither of us was interested in impressing anyone, we didn’t try.

We “talked” for more than two hours. 

Through that whole second set.

Arguing like James Carville and Mary Matalin (in reverse).

We clashed over the politics of drilling in ANWR.

You called me the Texas Hammer when you found out I was a lawyer. 

Oh, but even in the middle of all that, I liked you.

I gave you my business card before you left.

(Not that you believe it still, but I NEVER did that!)

In my journal that night, I wrote these words, “I met this boy.” 

I called my mom and said, “So, I met a boy…”

Little did I know.

It was ten years ago today.

In ten years, I’ve lived in three places. You’ve lived in the same house.

The house we made our home after we wed.

In ten years, I’ve had three jobs.  You’ve had the same job.

(Ahem, I might have a thing with threes…)

We have traveled to Washington, California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, around Texas, Oklahoma , Illinois, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, D.C., Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, and Canada. 

We have had countless fights. 

We have had countless reconciliations. 

We lost Mimi, Papa, Uncle Coke and Aunt Norma Lee.

We had two more nephews and two more nieces join the family. 

We went through almost three years of fertility battles. 

And then, God made us parents together and gave us three of the most perfect humans to ever have been created. 

We have celebrated nine birthdays together.

We have celebrated seven wedding anniversaries together.  

We’ve turned 40 together. 

We’ve turned gray together. 

You have been one-quarter of my life. 

But it feels like all of it. 

Like you’ve been who I needed my whole life.

It is truly a WHOLE life. 

I can’t wait until you’ve been a third of my life.

And then half of my life.

And then whatever else of our lives God gives us to share. 

It was ten years ago today. 

Thank you for showing up.

That night.  And every day since then.