This year makes ten.

Ten years of I do’s and I don’ts and I probably should anyways.

The longer we are married the more a mystery it becomes.

Love.

Romance. Destiny. Soulmates.

Were we really created for each other?

Is there some sort of magic between us that promises a happy ending?

Maybe, but its been ten years.

We’ve watched marriages begin and end and groan in between.

We’ve struggled ourselves with addiction, depression, death and doubt.

We’ve felt a numbness creeping in between us at times.

We’ve asked ourselves honestly, how much are we are capable of?

Could I ever have an affair? Could he?

Could our doubts overtake our commitment?

Could we ever leave each other?

Love.

The longer we are married the more a mystery it becomes.

It’s been 10 years and it’s not been a formula-ten steps to marital success- that’s gotten us this far.

I have no good reason why we have made it and others haven’t;

no secret to share or conference to recommend.

My friend Derek believes that love is not a choice, but a response.

That we don’t choose love, it chooses us.

I agree with him but would still argue that we always have a choice.

Even if it’s simply a response to what we have been given.

I’ve been given love.

Ten years ago I responded. I vowed the rest of my life to learn how to love back.

I am thankful for this marriage, this mystery, this man with whom I share life.

We are just stones being smoothed babe…

(After ten years, we’ve also learned not to take ourselves too seriously)