Today is our 28th anniversary. It is hard to believe how fast the years have flown by. Is seems just yesterday I was that giddy, shy girl, anxiously awaiting the knock on the door from the blind date I had been setup on by my cousin. We went to Lagoon and had a great time. And as the night was coming to an end I remember the butterflies in my stomach wondering if there would be a second date. Of course there were, and many more to follow. We were married three months later in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. It was a gorgeous fall day and I remember thinking that nothing could have been more perfect. We were so happy. Blissfully happy.
The days, months, and years that followed continued to have moments of bliss, but life has a way of humbling us and teaching us that in order to appreciate those moments of pure joy there has to be opposition as well. We have had our struggles as most couples do, and yet we held on, sometimes to the thinnest of threads, because that was all we could do. But in the holding on we have grown and become one. We have come through the tough times together and we are stronger for it. The moments when life seemed as though it couldn't get better were heavenly, beautiful and without compare! But the times when we were hanging on by a thread are moments I will always remember as the ones that bound us together and made us one, in purpose and in soul! The following quote by Laura Marquez expresses so eloquently the evolution of our relationship, and how without even realizing it we became one.
"My life is -- as if each person I know was born with a beautiful book with golden edges on each page -- and each of us can read the language of our own book -- containing our own unique values, ideas, insights and direction, yet we cannot read the language of anyone else's book, and they cannot read our book. And, then, you and I started talking and I discovered that while the words in your book are different from mine, the language of your book is exactly the same as mine -- and words flow and flow between us without effort. Then, I looked closer in my book and I saw beautiful, happy pictures of you and our family...and I smiled."
Bruce, you are my life! My joy! You have held me together when I didn't think it was possible. We have climbed many hills together and have struggled to reach the top. But we did. We have been blessed in so many ways. Our family stands as a witness of that! If you love someone dearly, your love will grow as you practice looking through that person's eyes as much as into that person's eyes. Thank you for talking the time to look through my eyes and see past all of the imperfections. Happy 28th! I love you!
