Almost all of that time has been spent living in the UAE. This was not our intention. Michele left the UK, newly married, to move to a country and a people she knew nothing about. It was a brave and trusting decision on her part. But, it being entirely due to my job, she effectively did it for me.
Michele does lots of things for me. And I don't mean purely the traditional home chores that I take for granted too often, and show appreciation for too infrequently. I mean that Michele gives me support when I feel frustrated or defeated; she manages to be tolerant when I am being intolerable; she shows tenderness and comfort when I am too modest to ask for it. For all of this and more, she is the reason why our marriage works.
I love her now in ways I couldn't even have contemplated 10 years ago. When you get married, you know you're in love. Hopefully this was visible in our eyes on our wedding day. But in the same way that a child's eyes show excitement if he opens the curtains to a new snowfall, the real fun part is later being allowed outside to run around and roll in it, and to see if there's enough snow laying round about - deep, and crisp, and even - to be able to build something special with it.
Marriage, like a new snowfall, looks clean and beautiful at the start, but as soon as you start walking through it, it may lose its initial beauty. But that's because you get no fun out of it unless you really get out into it. Even if that means the occasional snowball fight becomes unavoidable along the way.
Michele gets frustrated when I don't argue with her (a bad thing for a lawyer, that), and amused that I cannot successfully lie to her (without smiling and giving the game away). She annoys me when she makes notes for herself on scrappy bits of paper that she then leaves in various places, and so loses. Or when she starts a task, completes 99% of it, but then gives up bored. Different people, different ways of doing and thinking. But, as was once stated in one of my favourite films, we still go together "like peas and carrots".
How would I describe Michele in 5 words? Generous, friendly, unselfish, understanding, and yes, beautiful. She would probably describe me as soppy, occasionally grumpy, generous and sometimes funny, but too often serious. But it takes all sorts, and who's to say which combinations work and which do not.
I don't plan to show her this message. Instead, she will just discover it one day. She'll probably cringe, since she doesn't take compliments well. But she deserves all the happiness I hope I am able to give her, and more.
The title of this blog post is one of the lyrics from the song we chose as our first dance at our wedding. It describes how I felt 10 years ago. The full length version reads:
I had a dream last night
I dreamt you were by my side
Walking with me baby
My heart was filled with pride...
The same song also includes the words:
Come and live with me
We'll have children of our own
I would love you more than life
If you'll come and be my wife.
Well, she did. We did. And I do.
Happy Anniversary to my 'chele. I love you. xxx
