Stop, Drop and Blog

I was watching Wedding Crashers the other day. They said:

“True love is your soul’s recognition of its counterpoint in another.”

Or, let’s try this on for size.

True love is rushing home from the fire department to hold your wife when she got the call that her grandfather suddenly passed away. Holding her hand as she said goodbye to that grandfather — too late for him to hear. Crying as the hearse pulled away. Realizing that you’re part of a family that you weren’t born into and never could have imagined. Enduring two more family deaths within months of each other. True love is holding each other up through the darkest of days.

True love is driving twelve hours with two children, stepping in dog poo and eating greasy rest stop food. Stepping in the ocean. Getting smacked with waves. Building sand castles. Sneaking moments alone. Searching the entire island for a pink hat for your mother-in-law. Cliche moonlit walks on the beach. And breaking down on the way home, putting on your brave face while waiting for help and letting a few tears slip out of frustration. True love is laughing about it later.

True love is letting me sleep in after I’ve had a long night at work. Or hushing the boys as you catch a snooze in your recliner after a long night fighting fires. Or making breakfast on a difficult morning. Or dancing around each other as we make dinner together, running into each other and generally stepping on each other’s toes. True love is knowing that the other totally bombed the meal but smiling as you chew… and cracking up when the cook admits that it tastes like wet socks.

True love is putting on the shirt your wife bought you. Driving off into the middle of a park despite the crazy looming storm clouds. Smiling. And smiling. And smiling. And smiling again. Freezing, but smiling anyway. True love is posing for family pictures even when you hate them simply because you know that someone loves them.

True love is supporting your partner’s career choices. Even when they run into burning buildings. Even when one or the other works on Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and, yes, anniversaries. Hoping they get the promotion, the raise. Rejoicing when they do something awesome. Supporting when it’s been a long, hard day. Or night. True love is the smile on the other’s face knowing that they are content with their job.

True love is building traditions of our own. And memories. And sorrows. And inside jokes. And life savers. And the sounds of boys. And so on.

– — –

I love you. I did then.

Wedding Day, December 18, 2004

And I do now.

Anniversary Date, December 17, 2010

Happy Anniversary.