To the Girl in the Video

Two nights ago I was sitting at the Mac with Bill while he was editing our wedding video. Even though we were married seven years ago today, and Bill himself was once a videographer and edited countless wedding videos for other brides, he is just now getting around to editing our own wedding. I guess the old saying "The cobbler's children have no shoes" is true.

While watching him edit, it amazed me to see how much the two of us have changed in a relatively short period of time. I looked at the young girl on the screen and remembered all her hopes and dreams of their life together. It was surreal to look at her and know her thoughts then, and to now be able see partway into the future she was waiting to unfold. I wanted to tell her that she was about to make one of the greatest decisions of her life. That she would fall even deeper in love with this man standing next to her- that their love would grow stronger with each passing day, that they would speak words of encouragement to each other and never try to tear the other down. That she would lay next to him in bed and excitedly explain that they would soon be parents. That watching a tiny heartbeat on a ultrasound screen and knowing that life grew inside of her is even more wonderful than she imagined. That she would have the greatest privilege of delivering four beautiful babies from her womb and straight into her loving arms. That even though her body on that day was young, perfect, and unscarred, that each of those babies would make their own beautiful marks, each one more important than any tiny bikini ever could be. And that her husband would still find her sexy, scars and all. That she would get her dream of becoming a stay at home mom, and give kisses, wipe smudgy faces, and go shopping with her mom for cute baby clothes.

But the best part, as I sat there with Bill at the computer, is that I don't know the rest of the story. I don't know what other adventures or perhaps even sorrows that I'll be able to tell the girl in the video, but I am ready to keep living and find out. Happy Anniversary, my love! Thank you for making all my dreams a reality. I love you!