Today, on the occasion of our 12th anniversary, I read the wedding vows I thoughtfully and lovingly prepared for our 9th anniversary. I was so moved to tears by what I had written, I decided to revisit and add to this work. So without further ado, my Wedding Vows, the Sequel.
Nathanael, my favorite part about being married to you for 12 years is the sheer volume of material from which to draw upon when considering what to write about our marriage, and what I love about it. So many things pop into my head. That would not have been the case the year we were married, or the second, or third. So that makes this fun. Thank you for all the memories that I enjoyed thinking about while writing this.
I decided to write 12 vows, in honor of our 12 years of marriage. Some of these are the same as the 9 Year Vows, because they're worth repeating and recommitting to. Some are new, because, you know, things change.
*I promise I will struggle to provide you words of affirmation until they pour forth regularly and easily from my mouth, or until I die.
*I promise to work to become an expert in your strengths, and not just a noticer of your weaknesses.
*I promise I will tell you I love you daily - and mean it.
*I promise I will NOT reach for your hand, in the car or anywhere else. I will let you take the lead on this one.
*I promise I will try to always be your best encourager, admirer, supporter, cheerleader, defender, and sounding board.
*I promise I will try every day to be kind to you, even (especially!) when I am sick or sleeping.
*I promise I will always try to give you the respect you need, even on days when I don't feel like it.
*I promise I will always buy bagels for you. Any kind that you like. And cream cheese. I'll try not to forget the cream cheese.
*I promise to love you more today than yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.
Nathanael, my favorite part about being married to you for 12 years is the sheer volume of material from which to draw upon when considering what to write about our marriage, and what I love about it. So many things pop into my head. That would not have been the case the year we were married, or the second, or third. So that makes this fun. Thank you for all the memories that I enjoyed thinking about while writing this.
I decided to write 12 vows, in honor of our 12 years of marriage. Some of these are the same as the 9 Year Vows, because they're worth repeating and recommitting to. Some are new, because, you know, things change.
*I promise I will struggle to provide you words of affirmation until they pour forth regularly and easily from my mouth, or until I die.
*I promise to work to become an expert in your strengths, and not just a noticer of your weaknesses.
*I promise I will tell you I love you daily - and mean it.
*I promise I will NOT reach for your hand, in the car or anywhere else. I will let you take the lead on this one.
*I promise I will try to always be your best encourager, admirer, supporter, cheerleader, defender, and sounding board.
*I promise I will try every day to be kind to you, even (especially!) when I am sick or sleeping.
*I promise I will always try to give you the respect you need, even on days when I don't feel like it.
*I promise I will always buy bagels for you. Any kind that you like. And cream cheese. I'll try not to forget the cream cheese.
*I promise to love you more today than yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.
*I promise to ride bikes with you often and to promote bike riding in our family. I just don't know if I can ride across the country with you.
*I promise to support and encourage you in your fitness and wellness goals.
*I promise to really see you, and to do this better than I do now.
Followed by 12 things I have grown to admire and love about you, in our 12 years of marriage...
*I admire your intelligence, quick thinking, and interesting ideas.
*I admire your ability to speak to groups of people of any age and get them excited about Jesus, or coffee, or plant based beverages. Or all of the above, simultaneously.
*I admire your humility and generosity.
*I love that you make tea for me.
*I love that I am your favorite person to spend time with.
*I admire how well you do your job, and how respected and admired you are by others.
*I admire your love for Jesus and your pursuit of truth.
*I love that you do research on what podcasts I would like the best and then tell me which episodes I should listen to first.
*I love how you continue to support me in my work, even when it's hard for me, and hard for our family. You never complain about it.
*I love how, if there is even the hint of a chance that I or the boys can travel with you, you get excited about it.
*I love how easy you make it to write lovely things about you.
*I admire you for embracing love and mercy, grace and kindness in your life, and the ways in which you remind me when I forget.
There are no better words to describe how I feel about you than those of one of our favorite TV characters on her wedding day. You know who she is.
"The things that you have done for me to help me, support me, surprise me, to make me happy, go above and beyond what any person deserves. You're all I need. I love you and I like you."
Misty
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