Love That Gives Life

Today is my tenth wedding anniversary, which has tin or aluminum as its traditional symbol. It's a happy occasion that reminds me of many things but in particular my wedding day. I'm not the kind of person who gushes about the happiest day of my life, but my wedding day really lived up to the hype.

The music for the ceremony was great -- we hired a harpist. All of our friends and family surrounded us. We held a combined Catholic-Jewish ceremony with a priest and a rabbi. My wife was so beautiful. Everything about the wedding was fun, elegant, inclusive, and meaningful.

Ten years on, we are still very happy. In one way we have grown apart: religion. But in all else we are completely together. We enjoy being with each other and spending time together. We enjoy the children, our home, and our families. We look to the future with optimism.

I wouldn't say marriage is easy, but it's not that hard either. The main thing is not to be a jerk. Anyone can blow up a good marriage, a good job, a good time. It's something else to care for people and for things that give life. Children are life and they bring life. A house gives life. So does a neighborhood, a garden, a poem, a piece of furniture, a music CD, and so on. The job of a married person is to find and grow things that give life.

When I think of my marriage and my wife, I think of the good life she has given me. This is true: she has brought a special life to my love and love to my life. It's a nice thing to be married, and I'm pretty lucky to have the wife I do and the life I do.