Fifteen

It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here
For the next four years in this town
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say
"You know, I haven't seen you around before"

And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car
And you're feeling like flying
And you're momma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one
And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends
When the night ends

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out
Well, count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know who you're gonna be
Fifteen"

-"Fifteen" by Taylor Swift

On the eve of my third wedding anniversary, I couldn't help but listen to this song and smile. While Mike and I have only been married for three years, we have been together for eleven.. that's right, we started dating when I was... fifteen.

Now at fifteen I didn’t know much about what I thought I wanted in a husband, father to my children, and friend. But what I did know was that Mike was cute, played hockey, and had a car. And back then, that was pretty much all that mattered. (Ok, the cute thing still matters.. oh and the car too…. Alright, alright, and the hockey, some things never change!)

So here we are, eleven years, two children, a cat, dog, and a history miles long, later. To think that I wake up next to the same person I used to break curfew with, sneak late night phone calls too (before the advent of cell phones, us teenagers had to be pretty darn sneaky), and slow dance to “Truly Madly Deeply” under the ambience of Much Video Dance parties with, well that sort of blows my mind to be honest. The fact that I would do it all again in a minute, never changing a thing…well, lucky me.