Lucky thirteen

Jeff and I will be married for thirteen years this April! We met each other in 1995, March 31st, was our first date. It did not end well. Many years of chasing, by me ensued, and I finally landed my guy in 1999. Seventeen years with this guy. I have written before in this space of how I naive I was about marriage. I thought I had it all figured out! Oh, what a foolish girl I was. Thirteen years, three kids and lots of life has happened to us as a couple. Again and again, I am realizing how blessed beyond measure I am. Jeff gets me. He knows me better than I know myself and is fiercely loyal. He is the calm in any storm we weather, the voice of reason when his wife wants to lose her shit, the perspective I need when I am weary beyond thinking past today. He has supported me through graduate school and the last two years of working nights. He has never complained about the additional work my job has demanded of him. He is the best father around. Our children are so blessed to have such a dedicated, loving and patient man to call their dad!
I have always teased Jeff about his ambivalence about music. I love music and have always laughed at Jeff's light rock taste! The song we danced to at our wedding was Marc Cohn's True Companion. I really haven't given much thought or even heard the song much in the past thirteen years, but as I wrote this post, the song came flooding back to me. As I listened, I realized how perfect it was, thirteen years ago and now. I am fortunate to be married to my true companion.

Baby I've been searching like everybody else
Can't say nothing different about myself
Sometimes I'm an angel and sometimes I'm cruel
When it comes to love, I'm just another fool

Yes, I'll climb a mountain
I'm gonna swim the sea
There ain't no act of God, girl
Could keep you safe from me

My arms are reaching out
Out across this canyon
I'm asking you to be my true companion
True companion, true companion

So, don't you dare and try to walk away
I've got my heart set on our wedding day
I've got this vision of you girl in white
Made my decision that it's you alright

When I take your hand
I'll watch my heart set sail
I'll take my trembling fingers
And I'll lift up your veil

Then I'll take you home and with wild abandon
Make love to you just like a true companion
You are my true companion
I got a true companion, oh, true companion

When the years have done irreparable harm
I can see us walking slowly arm in arm
Just like that couple on the corner do
Girl, I will always be in love with you

When I look in your eyes
I'll still see that spark
Until the shadows fall
Until the room grows dark

Then when I leave this Earth
I'll be with the angels standin'
I'll be out there waitin' for my true companion
Just for my true companion
True companion, true companion

Thank you Jeff for being my rock, the calm in the storm, my true companion. And, today's cheesiness has commenced! :)