Sexy Windbreaker

On a hot day in a stuffy church seventeen years ago, a sweaty twenty-three-year-old dude formally committed himself to a flushed twenty-two-year-old girl. In so doing, he made a decision not only for himself, but for all the other versions of him who would come in the future, including but not limited to Law School Mike, Law Review Mike, Slacker Mike, Crazy I’m-Studying-For-The-Bar Mike, Law Firm Mike, Red Hamilton, Western Hamilton, Rule 11 Hamilton, Vegan Mike, What-Was-I-Thinking-Being-A-Vegan Mike, No Carbs Mike, That-No-Carbs-Stuff-Will-Kill-You Mike, Broken-English-While-Speaking-To-The-Maid Mike, Big Spender Mike, Frugal Hamilton, Marine Aquarium Mike, This-Marina-Aquarium-Is-A-Pain-In-The-Ass Mike, Depressed Mike, In-House Counsel Mike, Spiritual Mike, Kinda-Embarrassed-By-Spiritual-Mike Mike, Zenith Hamilton, Slicked-Back-Hair Mike, Pushed-Forward-Hair Mike, I-Want-To-Keep-Bees Mike, That-Bee-Keeping-Idea-Exhausts-Me Mike, Yoga Mike, F Yoga Mike, We-Have-One-Kid-And-My-Life-Is-Over Mike, We-Have-Two-Kids-And-This-Is-Ridiculous Mike, We-Have-Three-Kids-And-I’m-Getting-The-Hang-Of-This-Mike, and We-Have-Four-Kids-And-This-Is-Freaking-Awesome Mike.

That twenty-three-year-old version of me knew that great things were in store, but he had no idea how great. He suspected hard things were in store, but had no idea how hard. Today, as I reflect on a married life well lived, this forty-year-old man would like to thank that twenty-three-year-old dude for knowing what he wanted and having the courage to jump in with both feet, forever. And more importantly, he’d like to thank that twenty-two-year-old girl, and the gorgeous thirty-nine-year-old version of her, for walking through this life with him. 

I love you Erin. Happy anniversary.