{disclaimer: anniversary mushiness lies ahead….}

Three years ago today, I put on a pretty dress and promised to love my best friend forever. I promised to bring joy into his life, and he promised to cherish every minute of every day as my husband. We agreed I would do the laundry, and he would take out the trash.

Marriage often feels like one big lesson in which we both become more aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Or, if you’re like me, you become more aware of his strengths and more aware of your weaknesses.

I’ve learned a lot in our third year of marriage, starting with the fact that my husband is much more selfless than I will ever be. I recently re-read our wedding vows, and could not believe how well Brett held up his part of the bargain. On our wedding day, he assured me: “I promise to place as much importance on your goals as I do my own and I promise to do everything that I can do to help you achieve them.”

If you haven’t met my husband, you should know that he is the epitome of supportive. If I came home one day and told him I wanted to become an astronaut, he would begin researching NASA training programs immediately.

Okay, probably not. But you get the idea.

He’s the one who told me to quit the job I hated, when I didn’t have a solid replacement lined up. The one who listened to me cry over a broken friendship for months, when I knew he was sick of hearing about it. The one who reminds me every single day that I can accomplish everything and anything I set my mind to. He’s the one who believes in me, when I don’t believe in myself.

Yep, he’s the one. The perfect one for me.

He’s not perfect, and we all know I’m far from it. Truth be told, our marriage isn’t perfect either. We fight and yell and scream sometimes. But at the end of the day, it makes us stronger. It teaches us patience. It teaches us how to love each other better.

As Brett so eloquently stated tonight at dinner: “Our marriage is like a fine wine….it keeps getting better with every passing year.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

So, cheers to our first three years of marriage! May we continue to laugh until we cry, scream until we laugh, and learn how to love each other better. I cannot wait to see what the next three years bring. Maybe one of these, perhaps? (No promises Mom.)

(I love you, B.)