Lucky 13

Thirteen years ago today, in front of God, family, and friends, Amy and I tied the knot.  Since then, there has been sickness and health, richer and poorer, better and worse.  The best part about marriage isn't that everything is good times.  Rather, it's that, through good times and bad times, you're with the same person you've committed to for the rest of your lives.

This is true even though I'm not the same person as I was 13 years ago, and nor is Amy.  How scary, to stand before the altar, knowing that you're stuck with the body standing in front of you, no matter that the person inside that body is going to evolve over time, and that you yourself will evolve.  Perhaps scarier to know that you will be the number one influencer of how that other person evolves over time, and they will be yours.  How scary - and yet how wonderful.

Below are the lyrics to the first song we danced to as a married couple.  The sentiment is the same 13 years later.  I'm a lucky guy.

At the Beginning - Anastacia

We were strangers starting out on our journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start

(chorus)
And life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is a river I want to keep flowing
Life is a road now and forever
A wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

We were strangers on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

(chorus)

I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
I know that my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

(chorus)