Seven

A few weekends ago, Matt and I celebrated our seven-year wedding anniversary. I took Friday off of work and we slept in, went to brunch, and then strolled through the Impressionist section in the National Gallery. Then we went to the Sculpture Garden and listened to live jazz music while we drank sangria and dangled our feet in the fountain. It was a glorious day.

That weekend, we went to the Eastern Shore for a night, and spent a day exploring quaint little towns in Maryland, lounging, and reading books by the water. I spent a few hours sitting on a porch swing, reading and watching bluebirds come in and out of a little birdhouse. I could have stayed there forever. We had a dinner at a local Bed and Breakfast, where we ate on a porch in the company of fireflies and at least two cotton-tailed rabbits.

On our actual anniversary, we went out for a casual dinner with some pizza and wine. Not the best picture, but to commemorate the actual date:

Seven years. Even though anything I say in a blog post will be an inadequate reflection of my feelings about Matt, here are a few reasons that I hit the jackpot when I married him.

1. He is patient. So very patient. I learn from him all the time how to "not sweat the small stuff," and stay calm when I get frustrated. He's a master at this.

2. He's smart, and cares passionately about important ideas. Matt is always reading, always learning, and always interested in having a discussion about various theological and philosophical concepts. Even though I'm not always the best conversationalist on these issues (I'm not even able to describe them intelligently here), I greatly admire his passion for learning, and I am so thankful that I can (and frequently do) go to him as a sounding board with all of my deepest theological questions. Not that he has all the answers, but he always has a good idea of where to go to try to find them.

3. He makes me laugh every day. Not just a chuckle, or a cursory "that's funny," but really laughing out loud, often until my sides are hurting or until my eyes are watering. We love to laugh together.

4. He's egalitarian. Matt and I are equal partners in our marriage, and he does not ascribe less (or different) value to my opinions or decisions, or believe that I should be responsible for certain domestic tasks, simply based on the fact that I am a woman. I am especially thankful for this, because it was not something I was even cognizant of when we were dating, or when we got married. But by the grace of God, I married an egalitarian, despite the fact that I did not understand or appreciate what that word even meant at the time. (Like I said, I hit the jackpot).

5. He appreciates and loves the arts. I don't have to drag Matt to classical music concerts, the opera, plays, art exhibits, or obscure movies. He loves them just as much as I do.

6. I love eating meals with him. Matt and I share a love of good food, and we have so much fun eating, talking, or cooking together. Some of our best dates have been when we go through cookbooks to pick out an interesting recipe, shop for the ingredients, then spend the evening cooking and eating together. We also love the same types of food, so I'm glad I don't have to find someone else to eat Indian, Lebanese, Ethiopian or Afghan food with me.

7. He brings me closer to God, and makes me want to, and try to be a better person.

Matt, thank you for being my partner as we walk this journey of life together. If I ever have a son, I would want him to be just like you. If I ever have a daughter, I would want her to marry someone like you. You are more than I could have ever asked for or deserved. Happy Anniversary, babe.

And partly because I'm sentimental, but more because Ben Folds just says it all better than me:




And in a wide sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know
That I am the luckiest.