Feeling 22

Today is February 22 and my wife and I have been married for 22 years.  Well, technically, 22 years and 4 days, but you get the gist. 

The picture to the left of this text is from our very first date.  It was the MHS Foreign Language Hayride in Bendix park.  Kacy and I were 15, had been driven to said hayride by our spanish teacher (not knowing that there would not be busing available, we begged for a ride and I think she took pity on us because it was our first date - I should really write her a thank you card sometime) and her husband, and sat together holding hands, having not yet even kissed.  That didn't come until maybe a week or two later after an academic competition, in the back of the very crowded school van, with our friends "oooooh"-ing at us as we crashed not just our lips together, but our foreheads, too. Yep, we saw stars that first kiss, and possible suffered from a light concussion as well.  

It has been an interesting 22 years.  Several homes, three kids, job changes, adventures, parents passing, going no-contact with other family members, moving across the country, building, buying, soooo many cars.  We grew up and continue to grow together, doing our best to deal with our own anxieties while raising those three kids as best we can.  We have celebrated our wins, held each other through the sad times and above all, we keep wanting to be together.  Sitting in my office, now in the "casita" that would have been my dad's home... sometimes it feels to far away even though it's maybe 100 feet away from Kacy.  Some would say we're co-dependent.  I would agree with that assessment.  Kacy is my best friend and I can confidently say that she is my favorite person in the world.  I wouldn't change our co-dependency for anything.  Can we exist without each other? Yes.  Do I necessarily want to?  No.  I honestly can't imagine my life without her.  I'm lucky.  Not a lot of people get the chance to find their soul mate, let alone find that soul mate when they're 15.  Now, I will say this much - I knew from the get go.  I wrote it in a journal at the age of 15.  She took a little longer to figure it out.  Actually, no, I think it was more of a she took a little longer to realize that I was right about the fact that she was my person.  Do I wish she had figured it out sooner?  Sure.  But, if she had, I don't know if we would be the same people that we are today because if you really look at it you have to have the experiences in your life that lead you to where you end up.  It took us a while to actually end up together and even being together there have been times where we weren't sure it was going to work out.  There were a lot of times where I didn't think that we would make it, and I'm sure she could say the exact same thing.  But here we are.  Bound to each other, truly believing that we are soulmates.  My best friend.  The love of my life.  

I am grateful for every day that I have with Kacy.  She may not agree (because, let's face it, I'm an acquired taste), but I think that I truly got the better end of the stick.  I mean, the woman made me homemade pretzels for dinner the other night.  If baked goods doesn't truly say I love you, especially with all the time they take?  I don't know what does.  

I can only hope that she feels like I reciprocate the love.  Because I do love her more than I could possibly put into words.  And I'm grateful for the life that I share with her.  She and our family are my everything and I wouldn't trade anything in the world for it.  

Thank you, Kacy, for everything.