Today is Flag Day. It’s also my 15th wedding anniversary.
On a hot June day in 1996, my wife Eliete did me the biggest favor anyone has ever done for me: she said I do. It’s amazing how someone can really make you a better person and truly be a partner for your entire life. That’s my wife and today I wish her a very happy anniversary.
But as I do that, I think it’s worth the time to suck up to her and to really put into words how much our marriage has meant to every part of my life. Literally, she single-handedly saved this wandering mind from himself. When I say she is truly my better half, I am not kidding.
Back when I met my wife in 1993, I had significantly improved my station in life and had recently transferred to UNLV after screwing around my first three years in college. I had a lot of fun but I, surprisingly, found myself in Las Vegas ready to get serious. I was focused on school and my future career and nothing would get in the way of that. I had wasted too much time already and my focus was singular.
Then she walked into my life. Actually, I walked into hers.
Since I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I worked a part-time job while I was in college. I worked selling the drunk and sometimes belligerent tourists at Caesar’s Palaces’ Forum Shops in a Warner Bros. Studio Store.
One night, a weekend night, when it was so hard to even breathe due to the hordes of tourists looking for that perfect Bugs Bunny shirt, I had a customer ask me to check if we had that 3XL shirt in the back. I walked in the back and high up on a later was a girl, her curly hair covering most of her face. Well, all I really saw was her butt and the hair. Both were impressive
“Hey, could you see if there’s a size 3XL in the Bugs shirt up there,” I asked this fellow employee.
She turned her face beautiful and tanned, and said the words that immediately made me fall for her.
“Why don’t you check for your own damn shirt.”
I was always a sucker for tough women and this one caught me off-guard but dead on.
The next time we worked together, I suckered the manager into scheduling me at the front with her as a greeter. Soon, we were talking and it just clicked. I asked her out to lunch a few days later and within a week, we were dating. That was 18 years ago.
I’ve shortened the story but our marriage has been an amazing journey that really has only begun. As I grown older, 15 years just seems like a flash. So much has happened to us since we were married on that day. I really have a hard time believing it’s been that long. Yet, I can’t wait to see what the next 30 years will bring.
In that time, my wife has been an absolute saint. When we said out vows to one another, we both meant it and only Elie has been tested constantly to live up to those vows. She motivated me to beat malignant melanoma over 6 years ago. She’s stood by me in good and bad decisions always helping me stay afloat. She’s been my rock and been my coach through a wonderful life full of challenges, pain, joy and success.
She’s allowed me to be a flawed but loving husband and a father now five times over. She’s given me more than I could ever possibly repay her for. It’s just not possible for me to thank her or show her how much she’s meant to me. This is probably the best I can do. Material gifts or Hallmark greetings just won’t do. She has my undying love and respect, even though sometimes I’m a big pain in the butt.
The problem today with marriage is most people who give up on it do it because they’re not willing to go through the tough times. Some of an idyllic view of what marriage is. So when challenges – both minor and serious arise – they throw in the towel. Marriage is not easy. As Elie and I can attest, sometimes it’s as hard as anything to make it succeed. But love carries you through. You have to remember what you promised when you stood in that church and said I do.
Fifteen years ago today, I said I do. I didn’t say I will when it’s easy.
Thank you Eliete. I am the man I am today all because of you. Thank you and I love you forever.
