Musings on Our 13th Anniversary

General 2 Minutes

Thirteen years ago today, on August 9, 2008, my dear husband, Elliot, and I exchanged our wedding vows in Orlando, Florida at the First United Methodist Church of downtown Orlando. Looking back at our wedding video and the pictures from that day takes me back to a completely different time with such different thoughts on our minds. We also look so amazingly young!

This picture was taken after our ceremony — check out those beaming smiles!!

I think everyone approaches marriage differently, along with having different expectations, and Elliot and I are no different in that. We are all molded and changed by how we are raised, the cultural norms around us, and our life experiences. Since Elliot and I got married after having lived a few years after school and establishing our careers, we were settled in many of our ways before we hitched our lives together.

I surprised Elliot with a horse drawn carriage ride from the ceremony to the reception!

Our adjustments over the years from combining our lives together (e.g., we each owned a house and only needed to live in one!), understanding the demands of the other’s careers and unique schedules, starting a law firm (we met on the day that I’d quit one job and was about to start another), and then all the decisions/changes we made together. Yes, it’s pretty obvious that I totally disrupted Elliot’s carefully structured and calm life. The ups and downs of a litigation practice, especially after we decided that I’d start my own firm and the variability of the different projects I’ve taken on over the years — he’s ridden that roller coaster with me and provided a much needed stability during all the changes.

Four years ago, we faced another challenge together, my diagnosis of MBC. We haven’t gotten everything right and we don’t always agree, but we’ve demonstrated over and over (particularly Elliot) that we’re on the same team and we tackle big and small things together. Over the years, I’ve come to realize and understand that marriage and relationships aren’t always about the mountaintop moments (although we’ve had those too!); relationships and marriage are about choosing each other, each and every day, over and over.

And we do.

I’m thankful to be doing life for the past fifteen years (13 married) with my husband and to be able to choose each other. Love you forever, Elliot.

We spent a lovely night and day at the Mandarin Oriental, complete with spa services!

Published by Abigail Johnston

I'm a daughter, a wife, a mother, and I've been living with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer since March, 2017. All of the words I publish are my own.

Published

41 thoughts on “Musings on Our 13th Anniversary”

  10. All I can say is how fortunate you are to haven’t let go of the true meaning of the vows of marriage- it’s not the obvious and enumerated but the unspoken truth connoted in what is not said. We look our best and you two look especially gorgeous- and at our best and provide a foundation for a partnership that’s meant to last our lifetimes no matter what may be. And we’ve certainly gotten the test of marriages thrust upon us with our diagnosis of MBC and how unbalanced the care seems to be. But if we try looking within our spiritual resonance can bring our relationship to a higher plane of love that can nourish and save the core being of our humanity and surround us with the protection of each other. furthermore those people with whom we promised to cherish forever find the real meaning of love to help heal and give us more security than we’d ever have known existed.

    Much love to you and Eliot and the boys lucky to have this marriage to model after in their futures when they marry – how wonderful life can be even in the face of what could be the most devastating thing to tear us asunder.

    Many more years of beautiful life together in prayer for you, happy anniversary.

    Love,
    Ilene

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    1. I am acutely aware of how blessed I am. Elliot is my second husband, so I do have personal experiences other than the true partnership I have now. I’m so thankful that this marriage is the one that is in place now. Thank you so much for reading and for commenting, I know that you know how rare and wonderful a good marriage truly is.

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  17. Thanking God for gifting both of you with this beautiful marriage! God gave the gift and you have been faithful stewards of His blessing, nurturing and growing your relationship through thick and thin. ❤️❤️❤️

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  19. Pingback: Weekly Round-Up | Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer

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