Cinco de Mayo

The 5th of May! Not really sure what Cinco de Mayo signifies as a Mexican holiday, but it is significant to me because it's the day that I married THIS guy. When we got married, my sister Sara had been married four years, and it seemed like they'd been married FOREVER, and now here we are. I'm not sure it feels like forever (not yet), but it feels like a significant amount of time! Hundreds of adventures, thousands or millions of memories, a good healthy portion of hard times, two bachelors degrees, and one and a half children later, I still rather like him.

I was thinking today about the first time he took me home to meet his family. It was for Thanksgiving and I became sick as a dog almost as soon as we arrived on Tuesday. By very late Friday night I was in the ER accompanied by Ben and his concerned parents. I was very dehydrated and needed an IV.....and anyone who knows me well knows that I HATE, repeat very much hate needles! I remember feeling mortified about my appearance: in a very unflattering hospital gown, no make-up, hair a hopeless wreck, pale and sickly and here was this adorable guy (still so cute in his PJs) who had, for some inexplicable reason, chosen me. Even though I couldn't stand to have him see me that way, I also very much needed him to hold my hand while they put that horrible object into my arm. I began to cry (remember this is before I had a kid without an epidural....I'm much tougher now (wink)) and Ben held my hand and stroked my forehead. Most distinctly I remember that he had the most loving and agonized look on his face seeing me in pain and he told me (hideous as I was) that he had never loved me more than he did right at that moment. I knew when he looked at me that way that he would love me forever. So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, Gracias for marrying me and for four wonderful years!

Love you, Ben.