Our 5th Anniversary

Five years ago, Daniel and I married. Our friends and family had traveled to Orlando and we exchanged vows with a view of Cinderella's Castle right over the officiant's shoulder. It felt like an homage to our own 'happily ever after' aspirations.

We met in the fall of 2002. Daniel was only a few months away from leaving a job he hated in West Palm Beach, FL. I was dating a string of guys who would never be close friends. I answered a personal ad on Yahoo! because it made me laugh and a month or so later met the man in question for a quick drink. That drink led to dinner and hours of conversation. The next morning, he called me and invited me out to the art museum to take in a photography exhibit. He walked out of work early to go. We were dating.

When he told me he had taken a job in Chicago, I cried the whole drive home. I was devastated. My mom encouraged me to attempt a long-distance relationship and we did--neither one of us wanted to date anyone else. I was back in college and spent every spare weekend and break that I could with him in Chicago. When hurricanes were bearing down on us in Florida, he'd fly down to help secure the house and stock up on supplies. He bought all my tickets, otherwise I'd never have been able to afford the travel. We finally, mutually, admitted our love for each other in a dive bar called the Thirsty Brain and celebrated our giddiness at a corner diner over greasy french fries and grilled cheese sandwiches. That December, for my winter break, he took me to Europe and then home to meet his family. By spring break, we were engaged. I finished my degrees and moved to Chicago in time for New Year's Eve of 2005. On March 5th, we married.





Daniel still makes me laugh. He is my best friend, my staunchest supporter, and my protector. He never fails. He knows my flaws more than any person on earth and yet still has me up on a pedestal, seeing me as something more than I ever give myself credit for. He's dependable, reliable, trustworthy in a way that I've never experienced before. He is the one running below, holding the kite string, keeping me grounded and safe and yet letting me fly. He is everything, the foundation of our family, and most of all, the love, the companion I'm blessed to have in life.

Happy Anniversary, Love. Here's to the hope for many, many, many more years of love and life together.