Our 6 Year Anniversary
Most of my life has been… well, a bit of a labyrinth. Not the whimsical, movie sort, more the kind with too many dead ends, thorns, and an occasional minotaur of despair and depression. I’ve wrestled with hardship, survived more than I thought I could, and stitched myself together with whatever scraps of hope I could find. There was a time I was convinced my destiny was simply to endure, to suffer elegantly, perhaps, but suffer nonetheless. I thought joy was for other people. I thought my sins (real or imagined, I kept a running tally) disqualified me from anything resembling grace.
So when I tell you I have no idea what cosmic clerical error led to Leslie loving me, understand: I mean it. She is, without debate, without hesitation, the most extraordinary thing that’s ever happened to me. Together, we’ve stumbled and danced through life’s chaos, sometimes graceful as poets, sometimes clumsy as sleep-deprived adults without caffiene, but always, always side by side.
We’ve held each other steady through storms, reminded one another of our worth when the world forgot, forgiven, and toasted the small victories with the grandeur they deserve. Leslie is my wife, my co-conspirator, my partner in all things mischief, tomfoolery, and malarkey.
In short: life’s still a labyrinth, but now, I’ve got someone laughing beside me as we get lost.
