Three Years Ago

Recently Timothy and I celebrated our engagement anniversary!  Okay, we didn’t really celebrate it, we just talked about it.  And I became a big sap.

Timothy and I met on December 13th, 2008; got engaged on May 1st, 2009; and married on November 7th, 2009.  Can someone say whirlwind romance?

Three years ago today, I was a new fiancé.  All I could do was stare at my ring, study every diamond, and look for its reflection in every mirror.  I bought every wedding magazine I could afford.  My search for wedding ideas led me to the very first blogs I ever read.  That rush of planning the most spectacular day of my life is one I’ll never forget.

(our first picture as fiancés!)

I love looking back at where we were three years ago.  So crazy in love and confident that we were doing the right thing, even though we had only known each other for 6 months.  Our biggest “disagreement” was the time Timothy told me he heard that the first year of marriage was always the worst.  And I cried and gave him the silent treatment because I thought he was being way too negative.  Oh, young Whitney.  You were crazy.

I love looking back at where we were three years ago.  Since we lived three hours apart, we usually only saw each other once a week.  Every Monday we would drive and meet in the middle at the Target parking lot.  Then we’d get sushi, or go to the mall, or walk along the canals.  We’d talk about the wedding, but mostly we’d talk about what being married would be like.  We were clueless, but oh so crazy in love and confident that we were doing the right thing.

(engagement night)

And after three years, being married two and a half of those years, we’re still that same couple.  Crazy in love and confident that we did the right thing.  In some ways I feel like we’re still naive to everything that marriage is about.  Just last night we were eating dinner and I felt like we were playing house.  It caught me by surprise that we were married and that it was a routine for me to cook dinner and him to eat nine helpings.  (ha!)  Surely we were too young for this.  Surely marriage must be harder than this.  Not something that’s so easy and fun.

But other days we’re arguing about real things.  Things a little bit more important than our first argument.  (Which by the way, I’m pretty sure he won.  Our first year was a doozy!  But a fun doozy.)  In those times I realize that I’m going to be married to this guy for the rest of my life.  And we may NEVER agree on the number of glasses that should be out at a time.  I may be going around the whole house, picking up glasses half filled with water, for the rest of my life.

(making the engagement Facebook official – the glories of social media!)

Marriage is this crazy, beautiful, surprising thing that never ceases to amaze me.  I mean, God created some pretty fabulous things, but this marriage business?  He really outdid Himself on this one.  Just one look at my husband and I am filled with a surety.  Yes, this was meant to be.  I’ve never had so much fun with another person before.  I’ve never loved arguing so much before.  Well, I don’t *love* arguing.  But I love what it does to us.  It teaches us how to be selfless.  It teaches us how to let go of foolish little things like water glasses.

Timothypal Singh Gothra, I love you more today than three years ago.  And I’m pretty sure I’ll love you more tomorrow. And the day after that.  Thank you so much for asking me that lovely question.  I live every day happy that I said yes.

~Whitney