marriage is all about family

my new favorite fence photo at my favorite fence

I have a special affection for January brides for many reasons, but primarily because I was one, twenty-one years ago today.

I hesitate talking about my marriage, because marital bliss is a rough subject for many people. But it's important (once a year or so) to assure others it's possible after twenty-one years to feel still feel exactly like this:

The sealer at Clint and Katy's wedding said many things, but he kept coming back to one phrase, "Marriage is all about family."

"It's never just between two people," he expanded, "it involves everyone in this room; generations before you and generations to come. The work of marriage is building a family and nurturing each other."

Our anniversary isn't marked by jewelry or romantic getaways-- it always seems to come when our money and time are needed for other things. Par for the course, tonight I'll be at the Blue & Gold Cub Scout Banquet while Erik attends a church meeting and runs Xander to his orchestra concert. Erik's gift to me is baking 150 breadsticks for the banquet and making a Costco run.

So it goes, in different directions and often side by side as we work toward our common goal-- building a family.

I'm still amazed I talked him into it all those years ago.