I was twenty years old and home from college for the weekend when Rich Shannon, then just a friend, picked me up at my house in his parents borrowed car. We had planned on going hiking in the Delaware Water Gap for the day and packed all things deemed necessary for such a trip: lunch, water bottles and a back-packer guitar. As we drove on 80W Ben Harper's "Forever" came on the mixed C.D. playing in the car. Without thinking, I told him that if I ever got married, I wanted that song to be my wedding song. He said, "No way. Me too."
Awkward silence ensued.
Two years after that, we danced to "Forever" at our wedding.
This Saturday, the world will see us as celebrating six years of marriage. But for us, it's so much more than that. It's the celebration of God's faithfulness in our lives. Since we have known each other ( for nearly twelve years now) we have lived through tragedies, suffered heartache, made bad decisions, made good decisions, shared things we were passionate about, found callings, lost callings, built one another up, encouraged each other, supported one another, fought, learned and grew. I am beyond grateful for the history that makes our marriage what it is, and excited to continue writing our story.
So, though a little early, Happy Anniversary to my best friend. Forever.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHzAVDg4m1Q]