I wasn’t sure what to title this post…
“Five Amazing Years”? … ”A Dream Come True”? …”I Love My Wife”? … They’re all true.
This weekend, I celebrated my five year wedding anniversary with my incredible wife and best friend, Kate. We were blessed to be able to spend a couple of days off, in-between shows, in Charleston, SC. While we had some trials to deal with, (like our engine breaking down as we pulled into town), it was a charming few days with great food, conversation, relaxation, and unforgettable memories.
I have a little tradition each year on our anniversary. Every year, I give Katie a “Message in a Bottle,” by writing a letter, and putting it inside of an old wine bottle. It started the first year with me giving her the option of breaking the bottle to get the letter out, or keeping things mysterious by saving it, and always wondering. It didn’t take long for her to convince me of the ridiculousness of those options, and so I finally broke down and let her read a copy of the letter, so she could save the bottle. Since then, I always create a duplicate copy for her reading pleasure. Now, she has a nice collection going of cool looking bottles with thoughtful anniversary letters inside. It’s probably not the coolest thing in the world, but it’s a small gift I will always be able to afford to create and give, and at the absolute least, they’ll look very cool on a shelf someday.
With her permission, I share an excerpt from this year’s letter. Because yes, I love publicly confessing my love for one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing. It is an honor to share my life with her…
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I cannot imagine my life without you. You are truly my soul mate, and I thank God regularly for bringing you into my life. I couldn’t ask for a better partner, or a better friend. I do not take what we have for granted. It is truly special.
As usual, I struggle to find the words necessary to express the depth of my affection for you. You are truly an incredible woman.
Your beauty takes my breath away.
Your smile melts my heart.
Your talents more than impress me.
Your character inspires me to be a better me.
Your undeserving, selfless love is a gift…one I will never cease to appreciate.
It has been an unimaginable five years, and my love for you is overwhelming. I can’t begin to imagine how my love for you will grow in five more.
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For those of you who don’t know, my wife isn’t just an amazing person. She’s also an amazing artist. If you haven’t checked it out already, visit her site and learn more about her work!
So…
How about you? How long have you been married? Successful marriages are few and far between in today’s culture. I’d love to hear about how long YOU have been married, and what your secret is! I have many secrets to magic tricks that I can’t tell you, but these are the kind of secrets I think we can all share with each other…
Tags: Art, harris iii, Kate Harris, Marriage, Message in a Bottle, Wedding Anniversary
Harris,
Thank you for sharing this! I CELEBRATE your love for your wife and your committment to your marriage with her.
My husband and I have been married for twenty years this coming August. We have had many struggles thru the years but they have taught us the truth of the words, “if God be for you, who can be against you?”
Last year we rededicated our vows with new wedding bands that are inscribed with a personal message and “Ecc 4:12″ which says, “…a cord of three is not easily broken.”
Congratulations on five years with your Kate. Hold her close- body, spirit and soul and WRAP yourselves tightly around the ONE who is FOR you and Who will keep your lives woven together in unity!
With His great love,
Sharmayn Stoves
PS. I just let my husband read this. He really likes your wine bottle love letters. He said, “Harris has set the bar high!”
Stephen and I have been married for almost 23 years. Our secret has been to love unconditionally, trust and communication! With of course GOD right in the midst of it all. I wish you and Kate a wonderful next 5 years plus! May God Bless you both!
Wow man, way to set the bar high. That is an awesome, romantic way to tell her you love her. Hang on tightly to each other and God and you’ll be fine, I love the verse that BigTSButterfly posted “A cord of three strands is not easily broken” ECC 4:12, totally true let Him be the center cord that the two of you are wrapped around. As far as secrets my wife and I have been married 11 years this July and while its not always been easy, as a matter of fact its been extremely hard and heartbreaking at some points, its worth it. We have tried to keep our focus on our marriage and our love and commitment to each other and that has made the difference. Just remember when the times get hard, and they will, and when you have a day that you just don’t “feel” like it anymore, and you will, God joined you as one, you are no longer two solo acts but a duet joined at the heart. God had a plan when He led you together and He has a plan for the rest of your life, God has shown me this time and time again and so I’ll share the verse with you too as a reminder. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11″
God Bless and Congrats on 5 years!!!
That is so sweet! It’s nice to see a man so in love and not afraid to shout it to the world!
My husband James (Mike) and will be married for 3 years in September. We actually met in Kindergarten and went through school together. While we talked and were friendly (he always made me laugh!) we never felt that way about each other…until 3 years after high school, lol! Oh well, that’s how it works! God had a plan!
Anyway, we have no secrets to a successful marriage. At this point we’re living day to day, paycheck to paycheck. We just bought our first house and it has not come without it’s arguments. But I feel like that is healthy. As my Mom always says “in a marriage if you don’t argue or disagree then someone is not being true to themselves.” I couldn’t agree with her more.
We also do not share all of our interests. He is a firefighter and my hero. My father, brother, cousins, and uncles are all firefighters so I have been around it my whole life. But notice I did not say that I am one! It’s just not for me; but he does a lot within the company and more power to him! He loves toy trains and is building a layout in our basement once we get the house in a better order and that’s good for him. I like scrapbooking; he doesn’t. He likes video games like Call of Duty on XBox; I prefer Wii Sports, lol!
But he’s my best friend and I can’t wait to see where our lives take us. As long as we’re together I know we can get through anything!
Congratulations to you and Kate on 5 years! It’s not easy, but it’s worth it!
Thank you all for your comments, and for taking the time to share some wisdom! Blessings on each of your marriages! I LOVED reading these!
My hubby and I celebrated 6 yrs last December. We both come from broken homes and decided before we ever said our vows that we would do whatever it took to keep our marriage together. The “D” word (divorce) is not allowed in our home. We have an open line of communication, with each other and with God. We’ve had our share of disagreements, but we’ve also had our share of laughs and good times. We have two beautiful kids that keep us on the run, but I cannot imagine my life any way that the way it is now! Blessings to you and Kate, I hope you are an inspiration to others who see you and your marriage!