What Our Wedding Vows Really Meant
Today marks three years with the incredible man I get to call my husband. It hasn’t been a particular easy three years, but I’m so thankful to have spent them with him. So today I dedicate this blog post to Kyle . . .
Dear Kyle,
I look back at pictures, at our starry-eyed 16-year-old selves, at your excited eyes on the day we got engaged, at my tears of joy on our wedding day—and I realize how beautifully naive we were. We dove into marriage head-first, and we didn’t look back. We didn’t know what was ahead and we didn’t care. That blind love gave us the courage not to care about what others thought, or that our bank accounts were empty, or that we were “too young.”
Since then, I’ve learned that marriage is hard and life is harder. I’ve learned that with each fight this world throws at us, we become stronger. Yes, we were young, and our short three years have been far from easy, but you handle it all with stride. Because truthfully, we had no idea what the vows we made actually entailed.
I Tayler, take thee Kyle, to be my wedded husband . . .
In brain tumor and in health
For better or for tragic loss
For richer or for drowning in medical bills
To love and to cherish through school quarters that seems to last forever
According to God’s Holy Ordinance, and thereto I give thee my pledge
On that day, three years ago, we promised each other to stick together through. it. all. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
We vowed to lean on each other when we find ourselves crying in an ultrasound room. When we’re stressed out of our minds between school and work, and we don’t see each other for weeks. When we’re driving to Seattle for another dreaded MRI. When we roll around laughing at reruns of The Office. When we move for what feels like the 100th time since we got married. When we laugh and have fun just like we did when we were 16 and newly in love.
Tragedy and mourning aren’t enjoyable or desired, but they’re part of our story now. And so are many blessings. Our beautiful story is a mixture of God’s goodness and grace, the sadness of this fallen world, and two people that refuse to give up on each other.
Like my dad said in his wedding toast below, “Don’t forget that when things get rough—marriage is a very good thing. It’s the world’s greatest reflection of God’s unending and eternal commitment to us.”
I look back on those pictures, and I wouldn’t change a thing. You’re laid back, yet hardworking. Hilarious, yet level-headed. Handsome, yet humble. I wouldn’t want to walk through this life with anyone else.
I know that God is going to use our story in amazing ways. And for that, I thank you. I thank you for being just as fearless as I was, for being compassionate when I’m in a puddle of tears, for helping me find the beauty and humor in life, and for simply loving me through my ugliest moments. Thank you for walking with me hand in hand as we come to know the story of our lives, bit by bit.
I loved you then, six years ago, when you walked me to my car in the rain. And I love you now. In an even deeper, more understanding, we’ve-been-through-the-ringer-and-made-it-out-alive sort of way.
I can’t wait to watch the next few decades unfold. To see where God brings us next. We’ve got a lot ahead of us, good and bad, but I know we’ll find a way to push through.
We’ll push through with confidence, knowing that God’s plan is always better than ours.
Happy 3rd anniversary, Leo Kyle, and thanks for being so awesome.
—Your wife
And now for a little nostalgia . . .
