Another First....

This was then - at our family wedding dinner

A whole year has gone by, a horde of memories, some I am eager to hold on to while others I try too hard to forget. The start of this incredible journey of our life together as a married couple has been bumpy and totally worthwhile. It was the 22nd April 2011 when we said our "I do".

I used to dream of a wedding of elaborate elegance, filled with family and friends; he said he dreamt of a wedding that would make me his wife - turns out we both got our wishes. Oh my, what a journey it has been, many years have gone on, we started off as friends, and then something more into it, then love, and now husband and wife. On this incredible journey I have learnt so much about myself.

Remember how I used to drive you soo crazy with my infinite random outbursts when we were friends? Or how I had such great difficulty saying "I love you" to you even though we both knew I felt it deeply enough? Or how I was one crazy-perfectionist-incessantly worrying- stressing-nagging-and still loving bridezilla? 

Sometimes we meet certain people in our lives without realizing how much they would mean to us later. I remember how I was so sure that I would never ever ever go out with you, my friend!!!! Yikes, I knew too much about you - and you swore to prove me wrong. 

I love being married, its wonderful to find that one person to annoy for the rest of my life. Kidding, but you know that is soo true. Thank you for finally helping me uncover that one of the secrets of a successful marriage is that it requires you to fall in love many times, and always with the same person. It also means that sometimes, I have to put on a smile on my face, even if inside I feel like dying for the sake of supporting you, which is painful process of learning about my strength, our strength.

This is now, one year later, celebrated with an Ethiopian dinner

And if that is not enough, marriage is teaching me to stop at nothing for the sake of our happiness, and doing what is in our hearts when we know we are right - our determination always wins in the end, and it comes with a sweet addition of proving others wrong. 

Most importantly, marriage is about doing more than what is expected, to make another's life a little bit more bearable, without complaining too much, and appreciating so much more all the little things, the little efforts, which in the end form a habit, a ritual. I now understand that Love is appreciation of everything in the other person. I love you. 

I pray to Allah that we will have this little celebration of gratitude in finding solace in our love, in each coming year inshallah. And should He choose to bless us with a little life as a testament of what greater miracle we can create, I will be forever indebted. I am happy alhamdulilah to have reached this milestone. Who knew?? How many people still don't believe that I am the "marriagable" type, but you don't care, you just love me. How many sermons do I get about how I don't act like how a married woman is supposed to, you just don't care. How many times have I been called fat, and I get all depressed and you just remind that it doesn't matter, that it isn't about them.

So on this very auspicious occasion I want to remind you two things only: Thank you and I love you. I could not have asked for a better man to have as a husband than you. I know I am quite alot to handle, Thank you for not changing me too much and loving me back just the way I am.