It was January 2009, and the world was in crisis. The US economy was still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis, we were midst of a seemingly never-ending war in IRAQ, Bernie Madoff was just arrested for one of the largest ponzi schemes in history and worst of all, the Black-Eyed Peas reign of terror atop the Billboard charts was about to begin. Yet there we were two children, 18 years old, breezily swaying through our senior year of high school without much a care in the world. Myself, 235 pounds, acne scarred skin, strings of greasy curly hair falling into my eyes and a head filled with nothing but baked potatoes and ignorance. And Maggie, thick brown hair flowing wildly below her waist, wine stained lips, and long legs strolling by with an awkward posture hiding a casual confidence. She was and is beautiful and I have changed. Although we essentially had the same group of friends, went to the same high school and even had a class together junior year, we did not connect until senior year one night at some unnamed friend’s house who I cannot and will not ever remember (I think her name was Jin…who can say?). That night was wonderful. We shared a few laughs over a pineapple and next thing we know she’s asking me to Winter Formal by presenting me with a box of honey-nut cheerios (which she promptly ate all to herself). Little did I know how significant of a gesture this was for Maggie.

We fell in love soon after, and the rest was history (I mean that literally, the word “decade” will soon be used to describe how long we have been dating). Soon ten years pass, and everything has changed. The world changed. When we started dating Barack Obama won the Presidential election and now well, that is definitely not the world we live in. People changed. Two children, 27 years old, best friends, happily in love, anxiously about to enter a new phase of their life. Myself, 190 pounds, acne scarred skin, short pomade-soaked hair combed to the side and a head filled with nothing but kombucha and Game of Thrones lore. Maggie, thick brown hair flowing wildly below her waist, wine stained lips and long legs strolling by with an awkward posture hiding a casual confidence…and she has a job. (Maybe some have changed more than others). Yet here we are, different world, different people but without a doubt in my mind. It’s not just that I am in love with who you are today or who you were when we first met. It’s that I have had the pleasure of being in love with every small change, difference, alteration, addition, revision or amendment to your person that has occurred over this past decade as we have matured together. It has been a great joy in my life seeing who you have become. While more changes are on the horizon I know that no matter how we or the world around us may change, our love for each other never will.