On this morning, seventeen years ago, I got up and showered like any other morning. Then I put on a long white dress with a large floral print, fixed my make-up and waited for my then fiance to put on his suit. We went to lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe in Dennison, Texas. I had blackberry cobbler for dessert. And once we were stuffed, we set out to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

We were married that afternoon at the Justice of the Peace. We only had plain silver bands because we were just starting out with a new house and new jobs, and we couldn’t really afford anything else. I wore that ring until it broke and had to be replaced. These days I wear something a lot sturdier, for the simple fact I’m extremely rough on rings and dent, scratch, or break them.

When we started that journey, I’d never have guessed that in seventeen years we’d have two kids, one a teenager, and would be working completely different jobs. I’ve worn a lot of hats over the years (Information Systems, Administrative Assistant, Compliance Coordinator) but the mantle of “author” seems to fit me best. It’s a job I love and I can’t imagine doing anything else. And I wouldn’t be able to do this job without the support of my husband, who always tells me to keep writing, even on bad days when I doubt myself.

So, Happy Anniversary to my other half. Thank you for the love and support you’ve given me the last seventeen years…here’s hoping we have seventeen more in our future.