It has outlasted three of the movie theaters and the drive-in where we had many fun teenage dates.
It has outlasted the freaking BUILDING where we went to high school—I cried when it was demolished about five years ago.
It has outlasted the marriages of some of our dear friends and family members.
It has outlasted the fancy restaurant we went to the night we got engaged, and the coffee shop where we DID get engaged.
It has outlasted the hotel where we spent our wedding night, and the restaurant where we used to go for every anniversary.
(Side note: when we like restaurants, it seems to actually be BAD for business. It seems as if we’ve left a lot of destruction in our wake. But we’re still here.)
It has outlasted three pregnancies and three childbirths and one difficult recovery.
It has outlasted my bout with depression and anxiety, outlasted babies who would not sleep for over a year, outlasted children getting in our bed every night.
It has outlasted many various stages of employment for me, but because the man I married is so steady and amazing, his job is one year older than our marriage (our love still pre-dates it, though. 😉 )
It has outlasted fights and rough patches, periods of bad communication, and times we were just in “survival mode.”
It has outlasted the developmental delays of two of our kids (some times I did not personally think I would survive.)
Marriage isn’t easy, but I am so thankful I am in it with a man who is committed to outlasting any of the bumps and tragedies life can and will send our way. It gives me a little grief to think of all the things we will outlast together (certainly some lives of loved ones, our children’s childhoods – ooh, that hurts!) but so much joy in that “together” is the key word there.
There are so many things we have outlasted that I TRULY miss, but in my heart, I know that there is TRULY nothing better than walking forward hand in hand. Come what may.
Let’s outlast.
