In today’s continuation of the A-Z Challenge, I give you:

L is for Love

[warning]I’m gonna be fairly sappy here, so if sticky, silly sap isn’t your thing, you may want to read something else on the site. Just a fair warning. [/warning]

I met my husband back in 1993 in 10th grade. I don’t remember if we met first in computer science class, in Writers’ Guild, or through mutual friends, but all three instances were determined for us to become friends. Before he was ever my husband, he was my friend, and when both of our lives became infinitely more complicated, we stayed up until the wee hours of the AM talking to each other on the old landlines.

Neither of us would ever say that the horrors we faced were good events in our lives, but suffering through them did bring us closer together as friends–an action that I think led to our realization years later that we loved one another.

I cannot believe we were ever this young! (H.S. Prom, 1996)

Chronologically speaking, we were incredibly young when we began dating, but our life experiences had aged us both. Neither of us were wise, yet we were old before our time.

Our friends were 100% convinced that we would never work. If we were lucky, we’d fall apart, and they’d have to pick up the pieces. If we weren’t, we’d explode in a fiery ball of torment and misery, burning those near us until we all burned out. (Yes, I realized how over-dramatic that was, but those are some of the words told to us by friends back in the day. High school drama at its finest!)

What people didn’t count on was that we actually loved each other. We knew it then, and we know it now. While some of our friends from high school have fallen in and out of relationships, gotten divorced, and otherwise struggled to find love, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to still be together nineteen years later. Oddly enough, another couple that they said would never work, is also still together. (Waves to our friends, Christina & Neil.)

Us, being crazy at a concert, circa 2012

Life isn’t perfect, but every bump has helped me learn just a little bit more about the man who’s my husband. We’ve aged together and grown into our wisdom, which has only served to give us a lot of things to laugh about. My husband’s sense of humor is one of his best traits. The other, is his support of me.

When I decided to change majors, 3.5 years into music school, he supported my decision. When teaching burned me out and threatened my sanity (due to the politics and coworkers/admin, not so much the kiddos), he supported my quest to pursue writing full-time. When a car accident left my back damaged, he took care of me. When my anxiety or depression rears its ugly head, he understands and makes me laugh.

Crazy, Funny Man of Mine. (Click image & view it larger. It’s funnier that way.)

This goofy geek shares my love of gaming and other geekery, but shares in my joy of art and music and humor. That he taught me how to play Magic: The Gathering is just an added bonus. He counterbalances my crazy and encourages me to dream and dream big.

He’s not perfect, but he’s mine. He is my other half, and I can’t wait to see where our life goes next.

This post is part of the A-Z Challenge. Every day (except Sundays) in the month of May, I’ll be posting about people, places, books, games, and other things that influence me as a writer or add a certain magic to my life. Join me in April as we explore a Hodge-Podge of Influences & Wayward Treks through the Fantastical.

Read more A-Z Challenge Posts here.