“Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes/
Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear/
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes/
How do you measure? Measure a year?”
~ Seasons of Love by Jonathan Larson
15 years.
Today we celebrate 15 years of marriage. 22.5 years since our first date. Two kids. Two pets. 5000 dead goldfish. One cancer diagnosis. Two mental health crises. One home. One car.
How do I measure it?
Monty Python references. Sarcastic wit. Our table that you made by hand. Laughing with our eyes across the table as the kids talk about stuff we don’t understand. Cuddling on the couch. How my head fits perfectly in crook between your chin and your shoulder. Counselling to rebalance our relationship. Learning to talk to each other about stressful things. Never leaving without saying I love you, even if we are fighting. Quiet coffees in the kitchen after the kids leave for school. Sharing memes that no one else finds funny.
It’s easy on social media to perform the happy couple and bask in the glow of congratulations by others. A year ago, we were struggling to communicate, and that was how it felt – performative. Six months ago we decided to prioritize our marriage, and began counselling to rediscover our balance.
Today, we choose joy and harmony. We choose to celebrate the good and the bad and the ugly and the beautiful that make us.
Happy anniversary, my love. You are still my favourite. ❤️
Originally intended to simply focus on book reviews, over time, KaliDesautelsReads has morphed into its own entity.
I write about issues that are near to my heart, be they political, feminist, motherhood, mental health, or, as the title holds, books.
A thirty-something Canadian woman in my mid-thirties, I have been "super married" to my high school sweetheart since 2006, and together we have two crazy, clever, kind, hilarious, wonderful kids.
My first book - How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time is available on Amazon (in eBook formats for you clever tech readers, and paperback for those of us who love that new book smell!)
I have tried a podcast - it's still on Apple and Google Podcasts - but writing is where my heart is.
My life changed dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2018, and I am now a writer for a leading Canadian Cancer Non-Profit.
I am lucky enough to have a family that loves me and pushes me to be my best, even if it is outside of my cushiony comfort zone. I have a village of friends that nourish me, mentally, and spiritually.
Welcome to my thoughts. Sit down. Stay a while. Enjoy a cup of coffee!
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