15 Years and Counting

Tony and I are celebrating our 15th Anniversary today! It's hard to believe it's been that long. We have certainly had our share of ups and downs, but I am happy that we've made it through. It was clear from the beginning that we were going to stick to our vows, no matter what. Neither of us believed in divorce when we first got married and although both of us (luckily on separate occasions) have wanted to kick the other to the curb, we both firmly believe in working it out.

We had traditional vows at our wedding, so as I sit here on our 15th anniversary, I thought it would be fun to reflect on what these vows have meant to me over the years.

Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish as long as you both shall live?

Love him...at times that was the only thing I could do.
Comfort him...we had a very hard time after Tony got laid off from Lucent and was looking for a firefighter job. We both had to comfort each other with each 'Dear John' letter...but I hope I held up my end of the comfort thing by constantly reminding Tony that his worth is not defined by his job...but by those that love him and that he loves back.
Honor and keep him...I have to keep him because no one else will (hehehe)...but seriously, the honor part is hard sometimes...especially when we are mad at each other. But as my husband, he deserves my respect and I promise to never take that away.
In Sickness and in health...I really think Tony got the short of the end of the stick with this one. Physical health was in short supply for me for several years. I suffered from chronic fatigue and was not very nice to live with. We are finally on the up-swing and enjoying the health part, but I will never be able to tell Tony just how much his support meant to me while I was sick.
For rich or for poor...This one is really subjective and I try to view it from our needs being met instead of our wants...and our entire marriage, we have never gone without. Our feet have always had shoes, our bodies have been clothed and our mouths fed. Financial Peace has been painful recently, but it has been a blessing too. We are doing our finances as a team now, rather than just me controlling everything.
For better or for worse...This is where those ups and downs come in to play. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderfully, forgiving husband. Thank you for sticking by when the worst moments of our lives happened.
In sadness and in joy...I love having Tony to lean on when I am sad and celebrate with when we have joy in our lives.
To cherish as long as you both shall live...that is what it is all about. FOREVER! And I cannot wait to share forever with Tony...cause "we've only just begun"....(ok, ok, the Carpenter's reference was cheesy, but pretty dang funny too...and don't shoot me later when you are singing it all day long. :D)

Tony, I love you more today than I did when we said 'I Do' and I became your wife. I fully support the decisions you have made for our family. I will follow you through life and hold your hand along the way. God has granted us this time together and I don't want to let one single second pass me by without the gratefulness and acknowledgement that each is a gift from God. Thank you for being such a supportive husband and loving father. I couldn't ask for a better partner in this life. I love you with all of my heart and I'm looking forward to the next 15+ years together.