5 Years

Dwayne and I have been married for five years today. The symbol for five years of marriage is wood. As I thought about some of my favorite kinds of trees, the properties of wood, and the properties of marriage, I stumbled across three comparisons.

Wood is sturdy, solid, dependable. We use it to build structures that permeate our lives. For example, the wood book shelf sitting beside the wood desk I'm typing on in our apartment ribbed with wood.

But lest we make wood sound boring and fibrous, let me draw attention to the fact that wood is also pliable. While trees are very sturdy, they still bend with the wind. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, wood flexes to create the curves of a violin, or the beautiful arches of a building.

Left untouched, trees grow deep into the earth intuitively following threads of water while their branches grow like lace, twisting and turning to find light.

These three traits of wood remind me of three things I have come to appreciate about my marriage in particular:

1) My husband is my solid tree. He adds structure and order to my life in such a way that brings peace and rest. He has proven to me over and over again that I can truly lean on him!

2) Dwayne and I have learned to flex with one another. These last five years have given us time to learn how to let go of our own fixed expectations and to bend with each other's unique personalities. There is beauty in letting go and learning to be pliant in love.

3) Like trees, I want to be intuitive about how to keep our relationship healthy over the next five years. I want to go where the water leads me, and branch out where the sun lies. I want to constantly be growing in the direction of health, doing the things I need, to make sure Dwayne and I continue to grow in intimacy and love.

Happy Anniversary Dwayne!