Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday that I saw you walking down the aisle of St. Boniface. I had never seen anything that beautiful in all my life. As we exchanged our vows and said the words "I do" to one another, I knew we were committing before God, our family and our friends that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.
And here we are thirty years later and we're still married. As Jerry Garcia would say, "What a long, strange trip it's been."
When I think of what my life was like before we met, and what it might've been like had we not, I am reminded of that old saying that there are no coincidences. Things happen for a reason, whether we want to admit it or not. The fact is we were meant for each other.
But that doesn't mean it's been a walk in the park. It's not easy living with an underachieving, hotheaded, control freak, who thinks reaching for the remote control should be an Olympic event. What you saw in me, God only knows. You were the perfect Alice to my Ralph Kamden.
Your patience, your compassion, your understanding and your unconditional love have been the North Star for me whenever I've needed a course correction. When I went through my mid-life crisis in '07, you had enough faith in me to know I would snap out of it. And when I finally did, there you were, greeting me like the prodigal son returning home to the bosom of his wife. The anguish I must've caused you, I can't begin to fathom. Thank you, sweetheart, for not giving me what I deserved; thank you for being the bigger and better person.
It's been a while since I've written to you about my feelings; I'm so much more adept at writing about things like sports or politics. But while those things may be fun to write about, they don't convey what's in my heart. Maybe that's my problem; I'm much more comfortable being in my head than in my heart. It's safer there. But like that poster you had on your bedroom wall in Sea Cliff that read, "Ships are safe in the harbor, but ships were never meant to stay in the harbor," this is my opportunity to weigh anchor and let you know how I feel about you.
I love you more than I can express. You are more than just a wife. You are my companion and my partner. And while I realize there have been times when I took that for granted, I hope you realize that I am exceedingly grateful for every moment we've been together. To paraphrase a well-known expression from the program, "I wouldn't trade my worst day with you for my best day without."
Thank you, Maria, for a wonderful thirty years and all the wonderful memories we've experienced as a couple. May the good Lord bless us with another thirty.
Love,
Your Chabby.
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