Today is my 15th wedding anniversary!

I can still recall just about every moment of our wedding day.

Dressed in lacy white holding my father’s arm with one hand while holding my big bouquet of roses in my other hand, we made our way down the aisle toward my nervous and anxious groom.  He was a sight to see in his black tuxedo, all polished like a brand new penny.  Our eyes met, smiles formed upon our lips, and each step took me closer to the man I vowed to spend the rest of my life with.

This day I will marry my best friend; 

the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love … 

That verse was included in our wedding invitations.  And today it still rings true.

We went into this marriage with great expectations, hoping our love would not change, grow cold or bitter, but would instead grow deeper and stronger with each passing year.  We vowed to stand by each other’s side in sickness, in health, for richer, for poorer; the whole nine yards.  Planning every detail of our wedding made it all the more special to us, even incorporating the “hands ceremony.”

With our eyes locked upon the other, firmly holding hands, the preacher read off a ritual similar to the below:

These are the hands of your best friend.

They are holding yours on your wedding day

as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

 

These are the hands that will work alongside yours

as together you build your future.

 

These are the hands that will passionately love you

and cherish you through the years,

and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

 

These are the hands that will hold you

when fear or grief wracks your mind.

 

These are the hands that will give you

strength when you need it.

 

May these hands always reach out with

love, tenderness and respect.

 

May these hands continue to build

a loving relationship that lasts a lifetime.

 

What a beautiful symbol of the union of two hearts, two lives, and two souls.

Happy anniversary to my love!