Anniversary of Militant Marriage

Almost a decade ago, I stood on the sand of Cable Beach and married Mummy Militant.

It's difficult to believe that it was so long ago.

Marriage has been one of the most incredible, difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. Every single day I'm married serves as a reminder that the reason it works - and the reason I'm not a divorce statistic, like 60% of today's marriages are - is because of the wonderful woman I gave my last name to.

I knew literally days after meeting her that I wanted to marry Mummy Militant. She had that spark of beautiful madness and rebellion in her eyes which marked her as one of my own.

From the moment we first kissed, to the adventures we shared in our first few months together, it instantly became obvious that we were as much a romantic duo as Nick and Nora (or Jonathan and Jennifer, if you're of my vintage.)

I'll admit that it has not been easy. In Mexico they're experimenting with "temporary marriages" which you have to renew after the first two years - and if that had been the case with us, I'm pretty sure Mummy Militant would have walked after year two... and three... and four...

But by year five, I think I'd just about got my shit together (which is something I'm hoping to cover in my new blog about how to be a grown up) and that's when things really started to become amazing.

Today, Mummy Militant is my best friend, my confident, my conscience and my muse. She and I work well together because many of the personal qualities I lack - like attention to detail, compassion and drive - she provides our dynamic duo. Likewise, I like to think my buccaneering charm and childish enthusiasm often buoy her up when reality comes closing in.

Marriage is tough - really tough. I often suspect that the human condition is not to be pair-bonded for eternity, since most of us are ego-maniacal and flighty (or is that just me?) Yet Mummy Militant is somebody - the only body - that I could see myself with until the end of my days. Even after years of increasingly sleepless nights and stressful days, I love being around her, and I still think she's the most beautiful girl in the world.

Thank you, Mummy Militant, for all these wonderful years together - and here's to many, many more to come.

Four years married and STILL capable of astonishing me...

My boss has been away this week, so I've been working later and later in the evening to help get a major project get completed within the tight deadline.

Which means I've been pretty oblivious to the industrious project my wife spontaneously started this week, taking place in our spare bedroom (soon to be nursery.)

This is the amazing thing about my wife. She's more than happy to spend 18+ hours a day asleep or quietly pottering about when she wants to - but when she's inspired to do a 'project,' it utterly consumes her and she works with astonishing energy and focus.

And so here's an overview of her project - a painting scheme I was incredibly dubious of at first - but which has turned into something stunning and unique.

That's my wife. We've been married more than four years and she can still totally surprise and astonish me with her hidden talents.