Seven years ago, Alison and I started our life together. Captured so perfectly in the photograph in the banner of this website, the years have passed by with a considerable amount of joy. Our home is now filled with three bubbly children. They play, laugh, and interact with one another. We’ve grown, changed, and continued to get to know each another. In many ways, our marriage reflects the work of our engagement.

The first year was very difficult, filled with conflict. We’ve had periods of prolonged challenges, and children who fight constantly. The people that we are today are very different than we were back then. We’ve consistently worked on our relationship. We’ve learned how best to respond and serve one another. We don’t live perfectly, but we make a good effort.

While we have missed perfection, we have succeeded at love. We’ve succeeded at loving one another despite our faults and failings. We’ve succeeded in building a family life in which we both contribute to the household. We’ve made a reality the plans that we set during our engagement. The family that we are today is a close reflection of those early plans.

Most pointedly, I find myself loving Alison more than I did on our wedding day. It’s more tangible. Marriage is not built on emotions or feelings, but there’s a new intensity to my love for her. I make mistakes and pick fights from time to time, but I defer to her feelings far more often than I used to. I find myself seeking to build harmony and consensus more than I look out for my own benefit.

We’ve undergone profound change in these years, personally and professionally. Seven years, in the scope of our lifetime, is only the opening chapter. May the good work we’ve started continue to bear fruit in the decades to come.

Tags: Friendship Generosity Sacraments