Today is our 4 year anniversary. This one is different than the last three. Year four has brought us the most joy and the most sorrow. From watching Andy’s face light up when he found out I was pregnant, to seeing him gently embrace his stillborn son, I got a glimpse of what it looks like for my husband to be a father. The best thing he ever did for our son was to love his mother well. Lying in a hospital bed for days waiting to find out if your child will live or die is so hard. I imagine that watching your wife lie in bed in pain, both physically and emotionally, and being helpless to “fix it” is even harder. Andy took care of me so well. He probably didn’t sleep much. Most of the time he had a chair pulled up to my bed so he could hold my hand and rub my back. With every shot, every ultrasound, every new piece of difficult information, and every push of labor, he was there. No one else could’ve done it better.
Many say marriage is hard. I’ve never really agreed. I think life is hard, but the marriage part is what gets us through the life part, at least for us.
I really like being married to Andy. I regularly have the thought, “I can’t believe how lucky I am,” even though “luck” is not why we’re married. I intentionally married a person who was selfless, kind, patient, and thoughtful. I don’t say this to brag on myself, but to say to any unmarried person, choose wisely the man/woman you’ll partner with the rest of your life. It’s kind of a big deal. And it’s kind of awesome when you choose a person of character, a person who will cry with you when you are told the worst news of your life, and then HOPE with you again as you look towards the future despite the reason you’ve been crying.
While this anniversary is not what I hoped it would be (because I’d hoped I’d still be pregnant), it is more. We stand together here at four years,
still together
still laughing
still holding hands
still saying “I love you” all day everyday
still acting silly
still supporting
still encouraging
still forgiving
still praying
and still choosing to serve one another even when life sucks.
I am genuinely excited about our next 365 days as Mr. and Mrs. Hoover. Perhaps our 5-year anniversary will look similar to what I thought this year’s would look like. Perhaps it won’t. Either way, I fully intend to be celebrating life with my favorite person in the entire world.
I love you Andy Ray Hoover. Always will.
My Jett Pack 