In the winter of 2005 while scouring MySpace, I came across some dude named Ccelli looking for singers. Many of you know this story. Here we are almost 10 years later celebrating our first wedding anniversary.
My wedding day was pure bliss. You can watch the video. I’ll tell you a secret. I often watch this myself to relive that day. It was magical.
I love being married. Before we wed, many people told me that marriage is hard, marriage is work, and marriage is sacrifice. I don’t believe any of that. I believe that marriage is an amazing journey of two people who are living their life the best way they know how. Calling it hard work puts a stigma on it before it even has a chance to be what it is … and it can be something great.
“You have to “like” the person you are with.” We have all heard that from couples saying that is their secret to a happy and successful life. You have to love the person but you also have to “like” them.
I’ve decided that the real secret is … are you ready … this is my #1 marriage tip … Be someone who is likable. Instead of worrying about liking your partner, work on yourself so you are likable. You can have control over yourself but you will never have control over your significant other. We put so much responsibility on the other people in our life to ‘make’ us happy and then hold them accountable when we are sad. This to me is exactly what leads to tension in relationships. Again I’m not a doctor but these are just my thoughts based on the last 10 years I have spent with Ccelli.
Although I will say, I know I’m lucky. Ccelli has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. He is also a wonderful motivator and an incredibly good listener. For the record, I think he ignores about 80% of what I say but he pretends to listen. Either way it works for us 🙂 He jokes that he can’t wait till we’re old and has a hearing aid to turn down when I ramble. That makes me smile.
So what else have I learned this year? I learned that I enjoy being a “wife”. I like cooking, cleaning, and scheduling our life. I enjoy doing my household inventory and making sure we are fully stocked with supplies for our home. I make the bed in the morning (on most days) and I try to make dinner at night. Our Sunday trips to the farmer’s market are one of my favorite things. We dance in the aisle at the supermarket and play with kids toys in stores. He knows all my quirks … and there are many … and for the most part he finds them cute. I know when he has had a hard day just by the way he sighs when he walks in the front door. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie and he enjoys chicken and pizza. We laugh ourselves to sleep on most nights. We fight without getting loud. We have been poor and not poor. Happy and sad. Up and down and all around. But through all of it … I remember how he promised me a happy life and how he delivered.
Jodie and Ccelli, it is with these loving comments that you begin your vows of marriage to one another.
Ccelli, repeat after me:
I Albert, take you, Jodie to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love today, tomorrow and forever.
I will trust you and honor you.
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully through the best and worst, through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.
Jodie, repeat after me:
I, Jodie, take you, Albert to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love today, tomorrow and forever.
I will trust you and honor you.
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully through the best and worst, through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.
