15-year adventure

When I met David, he was still in high school. He was young, handsome, driven, athletic and one of the most charismatic people I'd ever met... without even trying. Almost 20 years later, he is still those things... older and wiser, too.

David brought so much to my life, to my very sheltered, charmed, loving life complete with Mom, Dad, sisters and all the security one kid could ask for. He brought adventure, controversy (tattoos, motorcycles, fireworks, guns, etc.), challenge and insight to my world. He has somehow managed to love me completely while also accepting me for who I am (faults, too!) and encouraging me to be my best self. David insists I must love myself, while never really acknowledging the many ways I come up short. He pushes me with words he has lived out... overcome, persevere, push through, never give up. These are his ways, and have slowly become mine, too. David introduced me to mountain hikes, trail riding, street racing, camping, shooting ranges, among many other things. I introduced him to a life of music and the written word, reading for pleasure, communicating with openness, family traditions, among many other things.

There is a scale somewhere in our collective subconscious that has been strained and stretched, working overtime at points along our timeline to keep us balanced. We have pushed and pushed... sometimes out of necessity, other times out of good old-fashioned stubbornness and pride. But always we come back to a balance that not only works for us, but completes us.

Five years after meeting, we married and even more years later, had children. I can't explain how perfectly these two little boys balance us and all that we are and still dare to dream about becoming. They, too, are challenging, inquisitive, heavy on personality and headstrong... obviously offspring of two people who at times can barely occupy the same space and time in the universe without killing each other. And I say this in the most endearing way possible.

The truth is, David and I choose each other. Each and every day, for better or worse, for crappy or celebratory, in youth and age, with promises both broken and unrealized, we CHOOSE each other. We like each other. Terms like "best friends," "soul mates" and "the one" come to mind. These would not be inaccurate overstatements.

Even now, we face a plethora of challenges that push us beyond what we know and where we're comfortable. The beauty of all the trials and tribulations in life is summed up in these few words for me: I get to be with David!