Dancing in the Mine Fields

Every time I hear this song, I'm reminded of the blessing I have in my husband. Wait, let me clarify that. My husband is a beautiful, complicated, interesting, intelligent, dedicated man and an incredible father, but the true blessing is the way I feel about him. I get him. I see all of his amazing qualities, his quirks, his flaws, AND I'm the lucky one who gets to share my life with him. Many times throughout the week, our connection gets neglected or taken for granted in the midst of the daily stresses that come with bringing up four children. Exhaustion and worries can impact our interactions with each other, and the cycle of defensiveness and miscommunication sometimes leads us down frustrating paths. But the joy far outweighs the tough stuff, and never have I ever regretted saying yes. The life we've built together is beautiful to me even in all of its chaos.

Our marriage isn't perfect. We disagree. We aren't afraid to engage in heated debates or to stubbornly defend our positions. We are both passionate, analytical people, and I've learned that our ability to disagree comes from the confidence we have that neither one of us is going anywhere. Our love binds us, our children bind us, and our faith in God and in each other binds us so strongly that we are able to dig through tunnels of hardship without fear that there is no light at the other end. He inspires me every day to become a better version of myself.

The kids and I are preparing to celebrate his 38th birthday tomorrow, which means our friendship began ten years ago this month. It took four more months before he convinced me to go out with him, and I'm so grateful he was patient with me. He is the first person who ever made me believe the risk of loving someone more than yourself is worth it. I am so thankful to dance through all of life's mine fields with him.