Monday, June 30, 2014

seven years

Seven years ago today, we made our vows. That means that we've concluded seven whole years of marriage. Seven years of matrimony doesn't seem that impressive when you consider that lots of people have been married, like...forty years. But since I'm not even forty years old, I don't consider that to be an obtainable goal for myself. Seven years is good.


Seven years is as long as it took me to get through middle and high school.

(Seven years of marriage has definitely been better than middle and high school, which is saying something. I loved middle and high school, bless my heart.)

I tried to think of other significant things that happen in sevens, but I'm coming up mostly blank. All I can think of is the Harry Potter books (shocking, I know), which happen to be seven volumes covering seven years. And although I'm still 100 pages from the end of Book 7 right now (which means it's a damn MIRACLE that I'm blogging and not reading, okay?) and don't yet know how it ends, I have heard that the ending will supposedly be satisfying. Everyone tells me that my mind will be blown, that all of the pieces will fall into place, that the details and mysteries of the first six years all prove to have been intentional, to serve a purpose, and to come together into a conclusion that is meaningful and satisfying. I can't wait to see what happens, and I'm savoring every paragraph as I quickly make my way to the end.

And although our marriage is nowhere near its end, I'd like to think that you can look at it kind of the same way. These seven years haven't always been easy. Like a brilliant book series, there have been rises and falls, mysteries solved while other mysteries remain, laughter and tears, heartache and unfinished business. I have no idea, most of the time, where the story is going next- I can only enjoy (or endure) where it is at the time. But even during the hardest chapters, the ones where you're sobbing and angry and not sure where the story goes from here...you keep going, trusting that the author knows what they're doing. 

I trust that the Author knows where we're going. And that the story will be good.

Our seventh year of marriage didn't play out quite how we'd hoped. There were a lot more sad chapters than I would have chosen. But there were a lot of good things, too. Adventures. Happiness. Moments of bliss and peace. One day, maybe, we'll look back and say Year Seven was awesome. It was crazy at the time, but later, when you look back...it all made sense. Because I think that the Author knows what he's doing here. Nothing is by chance.

I am incredibly thankful for Mattie, my partner in adventure and misery and whatever else life throws at us. I love almost everything about him (an exception being made for this one really abnormal nose hair he has that grows at like six times the rate of any other nose hair...I do not love that, nor do I love when Matt tortures me by pretending he's going to touch me with it) and love that he loves (or at least tolerates) almost everything about me. There is no one else I would rather do life with. 

Happy Anniversary, Mattie. Since you started reading my blog semi-regularly at some point during our seventh year of marriage, there's actually a chance you may see this someday. Thanks for letting me express my love for you by constantly torturing and pranking you, and thanks for still never laughing at my jokes. I can't imagine the self-control that that requires- I stand in awe. Thanks for always wanting to be twinsies with me and getting as excited about stupid stuff as I do. As always, I hope that the next year of our marriage is the best one yet-- but by now, I've lived and learned enough to know that even if it isn't...it'll still be pretty good, and it will definitely be worth it. I love you!

More Overly Verbose Anniversary Meditations:

32 comments:

  1. Happy Seventh Anniversary to you and Matt!!! I love how you tied your marriage in to Harry Potter :) Thanks to you, I started re-reading the series last night!

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  2. Happy anniversary! Wishing you many wonderful moments in Year Eight : )

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  3. "thanks for still never laughing at my jokes. I can't imagine the self-control that that requires- I stand in awe" hahahaha favorite part! Peter also claims my jokes are pretty lame but I know it's just the jealously talking. Happy anniversary!!! :) I hope #8 has more happy chapters this year!

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  4. Happy anniversary! I love that you've recapped each year of your marriage...something I wish I'd had the foresight to do! Hope this next chapter holds only the happiest of memories, the best pranks, and maybe one or two jokes that Matt will laugh at ;)

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  5. "that all of the pieces will fall into place, that the details and mysteries of the first six years all prove to have been intentional, to serve a purpose, and to come together into a conclusion that is meaningful and satisfying"... YES! Definitely yes to HP, but I'm praying that this will be true of year eight for your marriage. Go ahead and kick off the year well with some rockin' good news in August!

    Happy Anniversary... now go finish Harry!

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  6. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! I'd say you guys are writing your own bestseller; of all the books in the world, there is no story better than your own. Congrats on seven years...hope this next year is one of your best ones yet. Can't wait to see what's in store for you in Chapter 8!

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  7. Happy Anniversary girl!!!! Love the wedding picture-y'all look like babies!

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  8. Happy anniversary! The best is yet to come.

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  9. Happy anniversary!! And what a sweet, well-written post!! I'm saying this as someone who has been married for exactly zero years, but still! Happy anniversary!

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  10. Happy anniversary to both of you!!! I am believing with you that this next year WILL be the best yet!

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  11. Beautiful! Happy Anniversary to you both!

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  12. Adorable! Happy anniversary, you two! I nearly teared up! And I'm not a sappy person!

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  13. Happiest of Anniversaries to you two love birds!! Praying that year 8 brings you just what you want and so deserve! XO

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  14. Happy Anniversary! Perhaps year 7 is the year of the nose hair trimmer?! You are so funny and I love the anniversary recaps. Here's to year 8... Best year ever!!!

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  15. So sweet! Yes, how good to know the Author has the end in sight and doesn't deviate from His plan. Happy anniversary!

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  16. Happy Anniversary!! I hope you will have a child to celebrate the next one with :)

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  17. So sweet!!! Happy Anniversary Erika! Loved what you said about marriage being like a book, so very, very true!

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  18. What a ride.
    Ups and downs for sure glad the two of you are doing it together.
    Congratulations!
    seconding Emily's comment with your wedding picture: "y'all look like babies"

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  19. "After all this time? " "always." Happy anniversary you guys.

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  20. Happy anniversary! I love how God knew JUST the right person for each and every one of us, ya know? I cannot imagine doing life without Brandon, and I know you feel the same about your Mattie. :)

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  21. Happy Anniversary! How nice that you were reading a seven book series that worked so well with this post ;) Know any six book series I could read before Saturday? Ha! Praying year 8 is your best yet!

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  22. A Harry Potter comparison for your anniversary? BEST GIFT TO YOUR READERS EVER! For us, Year Nine was terrible and Year Ten was like blow our minds amazing. Year 11 is going to be about no sleeping, kissing baby toes and survival. I'm hoping Year 13 is the year where my books start to be our main support financially. Year 20 is when we buy our flying car.

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  23. Happy Anniversary! Seven years may not seem long, but some stars can't make it 48 hours! Hope you had some yummy Mexican food. :)

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  24. Hope you had a great anniversary, and can't wait to watch more mysteries unfold for you two!

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  25. Happy Anniversary!! I love these mushy-gushy posts :)

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