Thursday December 23, 2004

A Buck Knife And A Video Game

Ani and I don’t buy each other Christmas gifts. I don’t remember when we stopped, but it seems to lessen the craziness and the financial stress during the holiday season. I do however rack my brain every December for ideas of what to give her, because today is her birthday! How cool is my wife? When I asked her what she wanted, she said she could use a neat little buck knife to carry with her and a video game cartridge for her Game Boy Advance. We both have GBAs, but she had to have hers first, and she definitely has logged more Nintendo hours than me.

I love her so much. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of person I’d have become without her. It’s not just that she loves video games, or that she is the one that insists that we get the NFL Sunday package, or that she loves to fly-fish, hike, camp, and watch old movies. She is amazingly beautiful. She never wears make-up. She loves dogs. Her friends and family are the most important things in her life. She collects fisher price toys and loves the Moomintroll books. Did I mention the fact that she likes video games? We’ve been together for fifteen years now, and I don’t really remember who I was, or how I related to the world before Ani. I can’t describe all the ways that she affects my life. Like my heartbeat or breathing mechanism, she is here with me under the surface at all times, whether I’m conscious of it or not. She is a part of every one of my actions, decisions and emotions. I don’t want to be too sappy or clichéd, but I am constantly amazed by how great our relationship is and how lucky I am to be with her.

In our fifteen years together, I can only remember one or two real fights. Whenever I think about it, I realize that a relationship, which I didn’t think could get any better, has done exactly that, and is continuing to do so. We have watched so many friends that we thought were perfect for one another grow apart and split up, and all the while, the bond between us grows stronger.

This last year has been so amazing. I love to watch her with Ruby; she is a great mother, and the two of them together are awe-inspiring. The things that I have loved and respected about during our time together are even more incredible now that they are available to Ruby as well. Ruby is especially appreciative of Ani’s pirate impression.

Happy Birthday Ani!