Twenty-two years and still going strong | Atlanta Photographer

Well, this month’s anniversary makes it our 22nd year of wedded (not always) bliss. For anyone who is married, you know that marriage isn’t always easy but it can be fun. Over these 22 years, Steve and I have not missed a single anniversary together. Considering that my husband currently works out of state, I wasn’t going to let that happen. Even though I was just in Boston last month, I knew that I had to go back.

I left for Boston on Friday morning. I was able to see my son off to school and the my cousin took me to the airport. There was some confusion at the airport which started to sour my trip but it was cleared up. Once on the plane, I made a new friend. For some reason, when I saw her standing in the aisle, I knew she was going to sit next to me. I think her curly hair tipped me off.

My plan was to sleep during the flight because I didn’t get much sleep the night before. Well, that quickly changed. My seat mate was wonderful to talk to. We joked with each other and the flight attendant. The flight attendant liked us so much that she gave us extra snacks. Now you can’t be that! After deplaning, my new friend Heidi and I walked out until we got tot he restrooms. I had to pee and I hate peeing on planes. I also hate peeing in public restrooms but I had to go. Anyway, we exchanged numbers and hugs. I almost felt like I was meeting another me! 

Anyhow, my husband picked me up from the airport and we relaxed at his apartment. We at some Black Sea bass that he had caught on a fishing trip and then visited some relatives. Once we came back, we relaxed and I ended up falling asleep around 10:30 that night. After having to get up at 6:20 that morning, traveling and then visiting, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Saturday was our actual anniversary. My husband awoke before me, which is totally normal for us. He cooked breakfast as music played in the background. After breakfast, we sat in the living room talking and then exchanged our anniversary cards. Steve selects the best cards!

From there, we went to visit more family and then he gave me a tour of various parts of Boston. We had lunch at Legal Seafood Harborside where we ate sushi on the roof.  I was so proud of my husband for trying sushi. He’s a picky meat and potatoes man and decided to try something new. It was a shrimp tempura roll. I figure you have to start somewhere. This is the view that we had.

It was such a spectacular day! We even got to do one of my favorite pastimes which was people watch. I saw some characters in the airport too. One thing that I always notice when I go to Boston is the crazy streets and the interesting drivers, cyclists and pedestrians there. Let’s just say Boston is the only place I have seen someone do a three-point turn in an intersection. Three times! 

When we returned home from the tour and lunch, Steve’s landlady invited us downstairs to talk to her. By the way, she still can’t say my name. We’ve gotten to the point that we just laugh about it. When she said, “Steve, where’s Alisha?” My husband said, “Who’s that?” The thing is, she knows she’s saying my name wrong. Ah well…

We ended up cooking some burgers at home for dinner and just sitting around talking. I rather enjoyed that. Sometimes, just spending time together, talking and making each other laugh is so much better than going out somewhere. It was nice to just be a wife again. 

My last day there we spent it cooking dinner which he shared with his mom. We visited more family and some friends. It was simple but just what I needed. I enjoy being able to reconnect with my husband and I do believe this distance has been good for us. What tends to happen is after a couple has been together for a long period of time, they may start to take each other for granted. To be honest, I think that was happening to us. This separation seems to have brought us closer together. The time we spend together is more precious than the last and we continue to look forward to the next time we are together. 

Several people have told me that they could never live apart from their spouse. Why not? It’s not permanent. In the grand scheme of things, it is a rather short time in your life. I think it has been relatively easy for us because we are secure in ourselves and each other. We are also rather solitary people. We can be in the same house but in our own corners of the house and be quite content that way. When we come together, it is because of a conscious effort. Maybe this type of separation isn’t for everyone. I get it. Is it easy? Yes and no. Do we make it work? Yes, we do. In the end, that’s all that matters.

“Absence sharpens love. Presence strengthens it.” ~ Thomas Fuller