God Gave Me You

Today marks one full year of marriage to my handsome man and too-good-to-me husband. This year has been full of ups and downs, triumphs, lessons, changes, blessings, and memories. There is plenty I learned the hard way and moments I will never, ever forget. I am blessed to call Eric, my husband. My apartment, my home. And my dog, my baby. This is what I've learned.

-It's okay to have differences in personality and opinions. We're a great team and learn from each others perspective. I'm often overly optimistic and he can be pretty realistic. I'm messy and he's a neat freak. I'm a take it as it comes girl and he's a planner. I've learned to make lists and have a plan when I need one, and he's learned to relax and smile when things get stressful.

-I will always have a number one fan. I know that Eric will support me in anything I do and will push me to do my best. I'm a great cheerleader for Eric when he has dreams and aspirations. It's a powerful thing to have someone you love on your side.

-Husbands are not mind readers. As much as I might want to deny this, I often catch myself dropping hints or thinking that Eric must know exactly what I'm feeling or thinking. Not true. And not fair, either. I've learned to realize that I can tell him anything and that I need to take advantage of that, and not assume he has other worldly mind reading powers.

-I married a sinner. And so did he. Grace is a huge part of our marriage and we both encourage, pray, and support each other when it comes to each others faults.

-Always, always tell each other the truth. I've learned the value of the truth in the little things. Leaving out the not so great details of a situation or forgetting to mention something unpleasant causes nothing but problems. We're a team. And as a team we can work through just about anything, even the bad stuff.

-Men and women are so, so different. This has been one of the hardest but simplest lessons to learn. Eric and I are wired very, very differently. He doesen't think that same way I do and operates on an entirely different kind of system than I do. And I need to continually remind myself of this.

-Gods grace is much bigger than mine. My husband is not my savior and I am not his. I've learned not to rely on him for every single one of my emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical needs. One person can only handle so much. God's shoulders can handle anything I throw at them. My husband is a human. (Another mention to those ever so absent mind reading abilities).

I am blessed beyond measure by a man who puts up with me, laughs with me, listens to me, encourages me, forgives me, and loves me. Here's to the years to come. I love you, Eric.