Yup, it’s our 25th Anniversary. On a cloudy day, February 5, 1994, at 11am in the morning, Robert and I stood before God, family, and friends and made the most significant commitment of our lives. Saying I do to… forever! Yup! FOREVER…What has that looked like the past 25 years? Well, let me tell you!
Our 25 years have included, unbridled passion, intensive conflict, mixed with exhilaration. The first 5 years included locations, travel, and our firstborn. The next five years included our first miscarriage, my cervical cancer, two new address, and lots of time spent apart. The next five years another miscarriage, the birth of our second child, radiation for my thyroid disease and more time spent apart along with unbearable personal loss. The next five years came with more conflict than resolution. Came with challenges that seemed unimaginable. We were stretched to the brink, but we always bounced back. Everything we held close and dear was ripping us apart. We walked in different directions and sometimes in circles feeling trapped. In the midst of it all, we held on to our promise to each other –
Forever…It’s forever!
The past five years have come with unimaginable loss and grief. Some of it is still unbearable and difficult to process and accept. Committing to marriage and committing to each other is an act of selflessness. It requires forgiveness, compassion, empathy, understanding, trust, respect, and honor. It requires waking up each morning and choosing each other no matter how hard the circumstances are. It requires having an identity in your relationship that is separate from each other so that we don’t place the expectation of making the other person responsible for your happiness.
So! The past 25 years in our lives have included a myriad of experiences that are all our own. It’s our journey that has kept us incredibly committed to each other. One thing I am sure of..my lover has my back and I have his. He is mine, and I am his.
What I know for sure is that he was created for me and I for him.
I look forward to the next 25 plus years that will continue to be an amazing journey of our lives together. Creating memories and experiences that are personal to us and only us. Living in a sacred space that we know is full of love, respect, and honor and laughter, lots of laughter.
So we celebrate 25 years of marriage with the scars that clearly show we fought for us and won! FOREVER!
Lesson:
Key to a healthy marriage, love, commitment, laughter, forgiveness, respect, trust, and intimacy. FOREVER.
“Til Tuesday
-Annette Ortiz Mata
Til Forever
