Marriage has meant a
myriad of things to me at different points in
my life. When I was 8 it meant kissing
prince charming in a beautiful
white gown then riding off to our mansion in the woods.
In university it meant being
owned by a man and seen as only a half of the whole.
The thought of legally binding myself to another human being was horrifying.
I thought I could foresee the next 3 months, but how could I possibly
promise the rest of my life? I only thought marriage is a good idea in the
legalities of
procreation and that seemed implausible.
Then I met you.
Suddenly all my rational planning {1 year before
cohabitation, 3 years before marriage, and 5 years before children) slipped
away. I fell in love with a man who requited my feelings. I found a
man who adores me, who treats me well, and wants to spend the rest of
his life with me. I found
passion. I found
comfort. I found
peace. I
found love. I found myself thinking I want to spend the rest of my life
with you.
I also found that marriage means a great deal of things. It's no
longer just the ceremony. It's more than babies, and bills, flowers and
mortgages, and love and pain.
Marriage is a promise. A promise I not
only make to you, but to my friends, my family, and my community. A promise that I intend to be with you for the rest of our lives. A
promise that we are a unit, both for each other and to the community. A
promise that I won't give up. I will do everything I can to make it
work.
A promise to love you as best I know how.
To think of your
feelings, wants, and needs.
To respect you, and care for you.
A promise
to communicate. To tell you what I want and need. To raise children
with you. To be the best mother I can. To work together with you on
discipline, and diapers, and sharing their love. A promise to
contribute in every way I can to our relationship and our children's
lives.
It is a promise of the body as well. Not to be owned or
worshipped, but to be
with you and only you. To share a bed and a home.
To come home to you. To have a home. To know that if you aren't there you
will be coming home soon. It is a promise to care for you despite
unforeseen obstacles.
To grow old with you. To take care of myself so I
can live a long healthy life with you and our children if we are blessed
enough to have them.
I promise to share my life with you. To grow with you. To learn
with you. To be your partner, your lover, your friend, your ally, your
comfort, and strength
until death do us part.
Anthony, my love,
you are home to me. I never thought it possible, but
I love you more and more each day. You make me happier than I have ever been and I am honoured you want to spend the rest of your life with me.