How time flies when you're having fun! It's truly astonishing that 35 years have passed.
From our first conversation about Jane Austen, I was drawn to Mike. Yes, it helped at the time that he had a lovely British accent! But he was also kind, sweet, funny, and handsome. He loved talking about books, and we discovered we were both English majors.
We didn't actually get together until three months later (photo at left), and after that another month passed until we could see each other again. But he wooed me through romantic, funny, articulate love letters. I knew I had found my Mr. Wonderful.
Although I was tired of the sexism in Japan and ready to return home, I decided to stay another year to see where the relationship would take us. I knew we were meant to be together forever before he did.
Those two years in Japan grew into three, as I displayed the most patience ever in my life, waiting for him to be ready to commit! Thank God, he finally saw the light! Haha! When we left Japan we traveled through Asia for 2-1/2 months and got engaged in Udaipur, India, just a few weeks before we planned to return to our respective homes.
Over these last 35 years, my attraction to Mike has never waned...it has only grown deeper and more committed. He is the most amazing person I know, and I still can't believe my luck in discovering him when I was only 22 years old.
In the past 35 years, Mike has:
- Been the best-ever adventurous, fun travel partner through Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, the United States, and France
- Supported me steadfastly and faithfully in my corporate career and now in building my own business
- Written me beautiful love letters and cards throughout our relationship
- Partnered with me through the most challenging experience of our lives: having our first child born at 24 weeks and enduring 117 days in the NICU, almost dying several times
- Become an integral part of my extended family and a wonderful son-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncle
- Been a phenomenal stay-at-home parent and primary caregiver in raising three kind, incredible young men
- Always supported my need to spend soul sister time with my wide circle of close friends, mom, and sister
- Cared for me tenderly and lovingly through three c-section recoveries, four miscarriages, and four ear/brain surgeries
- Created a spirit of fun and silliness in our family
- Reinvented himself as an in-home caregiver and is in demand as everyone sees his outstanding gifts and patience with the elderly
- Been curious and interested in me, who I am and who I'm becoming
- Appreciated me and tells me so
- Taken care of the little things, like filling the cars up with gas and disposing of dead rodents in the garage (this happened yesterday!)
- Read, written, laughed, cried, prayed, and sung with me
- Protested, ranted, rejoiced, and celebrated with me
- Supported my feminism and striving to become a better, more informed, and justice-seeking human and joined me on that journey
- Makes every day and adventure fun
- Been my fiercest advocate and president of my fan club!
Recently I began working with an exciting startup, Our.Love, which is developing an app for couples to build stronger, more loving and enduring relationships. As I'm writing tips about how to strengthen relationships, I'm even more grateful for my relationship with Mike.
Before I met Mike, I wrote a list of what I was looking for in a man. When I found that list again about 5 years after we were married, I was astonished to find that he possessed every single item on that list--down to the details of "is a good singer," "is confident," "has a good sense of humor," and "has a spiritual faith."
Perhaps I manifested him into being!
A few weeks ago our oldest son Chris, the NICU graduate, married the love of his life. My wish for him and his beautiful wife, Emma, is that they experience the richness and fulfillment we have found in a marriage of equals, a truly loving and supportive relationship.
Today I feel incredibly grateful and in awe of this man I call my husband, my Mr. Wonderful.
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