Five Years

On Sept. 24, 2005, we put rings on our fingers, made some serious promises, and began our life together as a married couple that was the happiest moments in my life.

That also happened to be the time we dripped wax on our hands, nearly tripped walking up the stairs at church, and laughed at each others' total unpreparedness in actually getting married.

Funny and serious, there we were. And here we are.

These past five years have complimented the five we'd been together before marriage, and we've endured so much during our first decade together. Every day has been an adventure and I'm so incredibly honored to be sharing these days with you. We've been through so much. But you've put up with my stubbornness, my legal-argument articulating mind, and endured all the Highs and Lows. And that's before we even get into the whole diabetes aspect of our life.

Ten years ago, life was so much different. Those where the days Before Pizza Had Carbs - or more specifically the time before pumping and carb counting when you didn't need to put on a Human D-Math Calculator Hat. Those were the days of a couple shots a day, and I don't even remember when or how it was introduced. But you were fine with it. And I reflect on how your sister told me later that she'd never observed you study so much to learn about something like that.

But you've done a great job. Putting infusion sites on my body parts, stabbing me with needles in my arms and arse, and picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy. You've become an expert in the Insurance Game Hurdles of This D-Life as our health care insurance supplier. You've been keen to my BG swings and instructed me to test when suspicious of a Confusing Low or Grumpiness-Inducing High. You've tested me when I haven't been able to do so myself. Stayed on the phone with me when Low and wandering around parking garages and downtown city streets, trying to find my car and some sugar. You've made sacrifices to take care of me when needed. Crammed apple juice, honey, frosting into my mouth, and conquered the Apple Cider Loving Aliens who took over your body when I had a Low. When glucagon stabs weren't possible, you bravely summoned the paramedics to our home. You've become a D-Police combatting force in your own right, standing up to those evil forces trying to question or bring us down.
And so much more.

Your love, support and guidance is what inspired me to not only graduate from college, but to take ownership and control of my health and diabetes. You gave me purpose. Made me see that there actually was something in this world worth living for, and that I wanted to be around as long as possible to share these adventures with you. From that moment driving to the Columbus Zoo and switching my gaze from the road to your sleeping face in the passenger seat, I knew that you were the one. I knew that I was in love and that my life was unfolding in a way I hadn't expected.

As this day approached, I reflected on the moments leading up to our marriage. I recall how it was two years post-college when I made the decision to step up and make the future happen, in order to provide for a life together. That was part of my big plan to propose in March 2003, and I spent several months creating that special marriage proposal newspaper that would be revealed to 100+ of friends at the annual fraternity gala. You said "yes," and my life truly began.

Every year, I re-read that eight-page newspaper and smile. Today is no different, and the words of that lead story I wrote under that looming headline of "Will You Marry Me?" still ring true: "Everyone needs inspiration - whether they are a writer, artist, or any other occupation. Just as a poet needs inspiration to write a poetic masterpiece and a journalist needs stories to create a newspaper, I need you to provide the words for my life. Without you, my life would be empty of all inspiration and I'd have no words to share."

In our five years married, we've survived a move from Michigan to Indiana, a couple high-stress job changes, our first home purchase, and the start of a life. Not every moment is peachy. But we're in this together, during the Laughter & Tears. You give me balance. And inspiration. And focus. And so many words that this writer can't even capture.

Now, we've discussed anniversary gifts and decided they weren't important. They don't symbolize our love, our marriage, and we certainly don't need things to feel better about ourselves. A certain part of me had trouble letting go of my gift-plan, because I want to "give you the world" that you deserve, but I let go. Besides, looking at the traditional gift of wood and modern gift of silverware for five years, I don't even know What The Fruity point would be in either of those two gift ideas. Your love is a gift enough for me, and that's all I want.

Tonight, we have an "Anniversary Date Night." The tickets to a charity gala give us the chance to dress up, get a great classy meal, and just have some fun together. Then we have the weekend to relax and enjoy, play some games, take the dog for some W-A-L-K-S, and to just be in each other's company. I can't wait.

With that, I leave you some words of wisdom: "Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-lagunga."

No. Wait. That's a line from Caddyshack. Though you are better than The Lama in my world, that's not where I was going. Actually, I was going for something from our first movie back in 2000, Return to Me: "What do you expect most from a relationship? A: Companionship. B: Sex. C: Respect." I'd have to go with B: Sex. But let's mark "C" so we get a higher score... "

Ok. Nope. That didn't work either. Hmmm.

Instead of movies, maybe I'd be better off just borrowing the title line of the song we danced to that night five years ago: "Thank You, For Loving Me."

-----------------------------------------------------

This post is the intellectual property of The Diabetic's Corner Booth and attribution is always appreciated if you are to use this material. Any reposting of this content without first obtaining my express permission will be considered to be a violation of my legal intellectual property rights. If you are reading this on a blog called Clean Natural Living, then it has appeared on a site that does not have my consent to repost this content in its entirety.