On Monday, The Rock and I celebrate seven years of wedded sticking togetherness through thick and thin, midnight arguments, beautiful and complicated births, misunderstandings, understandings, trying hard, sailing through, near misses and never quitting.
I’ve told you before that we don’t have an easy relationship, but I thank my stars we’re together. It’s like God decided that we had a lot of learning to do and he matched us with exactly the right person to challenge us, hold up the mirror and forge us into better people. The Rock and I are alike in one major way: you’ve got to hit us over the head repeatedly with a life lesson. We don’t get it the first time. So both of us need to be with people who’ll continuously make us practice betterness. And we’re always growing. Even when it hurts.
I did know right off (when we talked…I’d met him earlier, but we didn’t speak. PMS was involved) that he got it. He cut through the crap, said what he thought, and was real.
I didn’t get that much in Los Angeles.
But what really cinched it for me: he used the word “saturated” in a sentence. And it wasn’t gross. We were talking about the video game market. He liked to talk about things! Things that mattered! Also, he tried to teach me poker, which made me like him more because a guy who knows how to play poker is tasty and delicious. And I felt comfortable with him. It was as if he saw below the surface and responded to the subtext, rather than the ridiculous person I was becoming in L.A.
The Rock lived in San Diego and we long distanced for a year. Four months into the relationship, my mom died, and he flew to San Francisco for the funeral. I recall him being very protective of me during that time, just like he is now, and I knew he’d always be there for me. I really did just know.
Now, he’s that way with our kids. And I love that they get him for a dad.
So, tomorrow we go out. To where, I don’t know. Our favorite things to do include wandering aimlessly in a book store, calling each other over to read the back of an interesting book or listen to a new CD, hear live music, and see movies. It’d be great if we could do all those things at once! And these days with the multiplexes, I’m confident we can.
I would, however, really like to just sit somewhere and talk. We don’t do that as much. By the time the kids are in bed, we’re half a pace behind them and conversation becomes work. But I like when we talk. I especially remember this past December, when we went holiday shopping for the kids, alone, and I had the best time ever. We goofed, lazed and sillied. When we just be, it’s the best being ever.
So here’s the poem I wrote for him a couple anniversaries ago, and now I’m off to do another one. For our 50th, {{{{{SPOILER ALERT, HONEY. DO NOT READ FURTHER!}}}}}
I’d like to bind these up and give it to him as a book.
Wouldn’t that be grand.
p.s. When I took the above photo from its frame to scan and post, the front glass broke, cutting my palm. And, rather, than taking that as a harbinger of doom, I instead focused on the fact that if the wound were to fester into flesh-eating bacterium, I’m confident The Rock would donate his skin to me before mine fully necrotized.
Hey, that’s poem fodder!
WOW — BEAUTIFUL photo. Really, stunning. You two are so lucky to have found each other.
Congratulations and happy anniversary!!
BTW, my comments have been going to other people’s spam box for some reason … some are missing from your posts, so it might be happening here too …
Okay … YOU are amazing. Your words. Your steadfastness. Your ability to see reality so clearly, honestly.
Hope your anniversary is filled with talking, laughing, sharing, and enjoying … and maybe even some other “ing.”
(Fantastic poem.)
You forgot to mention that he seems to be a hottie as well. Love the photo. You look very happy together :) Saturated with love, maybe ;)
Congrats to you both! What a lovely couple!
wow. you have certainly not disappointed here. beautiful picture. beautiful couple. beautiful post. i love that you love to converse with your hubby. that’s one of the things that keep me and mine going. the conversation. there is something to be said about having REAL conversations with people. so few people can carry on a real conversation these days.
(jeezus f-ing christ. i have been sitting here for 15 f-ing minutes trying to submit this f-ing comment and my a-hole, great conversationalist husband, and my children won’t STFU and leave me alone!!!!!)
i’m going postal… but this is about you.
beautiful picture. congrats on 7yrs!
this is so totally over-the-top romantic, i can’t even stand it. with all the sad stories out there, nothing makes me happier than to hear about a couple who has the Real Thing. you are one drop-dead gorgeous couple and i would love to do all the same things on a precious evening together. congratulations on your anniversary. i will be on a rare date tomorrow night with my hubby. and when i’m sipping my favorite chardonnay (are you noticing a pattern here?), and i’ll propose a little silent toast to couple happiness and think of you.
happy anniversary.
it’s all peaks and valleys.
;)
gorgeous pic.
Happy anniversary–and weren’t you a stunning bride?!
congrats to a real honest to goodness couple…
Happy anniversary!!
And holy Hannah Montana appearing semi-nude in Vanity Fair, that is one SMOKIN’ HAWT bride.
I think if I didn’t like you so much, I’d hate you a little. :grin:
Anyway, I’m so with you on having the not-perfect-spouse-who-is-totally-perfect-for-me thing. I wish you and The Rock many more years of joy and love and happiness. :)
Thanks Internellies.
You’re all so kind to me.
And Eden: You TOTALLY made The Rock’s day with the hottie comment. He’s making me show him your blog now…
Also love the Holy Hannah Montana, Steph! It’s so Urban Dictionariable!
Glad he liked it. I liked the eyes, I think. He can check out my celeb crush list & see if there are any commonalities. Hawk does that.
The eyes definitely have it.
One of the first things I noticed too.
Where’s the celeb crush list? I see we have some commonalities based on crush posts (although I did love Andy Taylor and he’s the one DD you hated!)…
But other than that…