That nice round number of ten years makes me want to reflect a little bit. In 2013 Tess and I were just out of college. We'd both had steady jobs during summers and consistent part-time work during the school year, but neither of us had had a "real" job before. I had spent a few months living in Indonesia, but we didn't have much experience living on our own in our own place. It would be an overstatement to say we moved from Wisconsin to Michigan without a safety net, but, like many newlyweds, we were figuring out a lot of adulthood pretty quickly in those first years. Seminary helped me—and, after a bit, us—with making friends. Tess found a job after a few weeks. We learned how to live together, how to plan our meals, how to coordinate our schedules. The move away from home had challenges, but I think it ultimately was good for us. Tess and I had to depend on each other and support one another as we navigated not just a new stage of life but a new place. We grew a lot closer together over those first few years.
Ten years after getting married, it's pretty hard for me to remember what life was like without Tess and basically impossible for me to imagine going through life without her now. She is my best friend, my closest confidant, my partner. After a decade, I am confident that I love her far more now than I did on our wedding day. I've learned so much more about Tess through the experience of life together, and I think I've learned how to love more over these years. I am so thankful that God has brought us together. He has given us ten wonderful years, and I am looking forward to what's yet to come.
Grace and peace,
BMH
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