Operation Gratitude: My Wife

This is another one of those mushy posts, it's true. This time it's about my beautiful wife, Kristen. I know I've written a lot about her in the past, but this is different.

Four years ago today, we spoke for the first time. It seems like yesterday and yet like a million years ago. When we first met, I was surprised at all our similarities - we seemed to have so much in common. But let's be honest - how many guys wouldn't be amazed to find a girl who was so into Homestarrunner that she'd make a Homestar / Marzipan wedding cake topper? Or someone who knew more about Lord of the Rings and Star Wars than they did? Sometimes when we go see a comic book movie or another action movie, Kristen's mom asks her why we don't go see what Kristen wants to see. Little does she know. :)

Although we had many similarities, we were also very different. As all you married people out there know, two people who grow up in different families really come from different cultures. Kristen is from a family of artists - I'm from a family of business people. We just think differently. We had different concepts about how to communicate, cleaning, the holidays, spending time with family, how to raise children...we're still in disagreement about when our daughter is allowed to pierce her ears and wear makeup, in fact. Kristen says 8 is old enough for ear piercing, but makeup is for junior high. I say ears at 12, makeup whenever. I said let's compromise - she can wear makeup once she gets her ears pierced. Kristen doesn't think that's a satisfactory compromise.

But despite our differences, or maybe because of them, we've learned to work well together. Kristen has opened my world to so many new things that I never would have even considered before, both in terms of art/music/movies, as well as how to think about things. I've learned to be a better communicator, a better listener, a better friend, and certainly a better husband and father. And I hope I've been able to teach her something along the way as well.

I'm grateful she is patient with my shortcomings. She doesn't get upset with me when I'm too opinionated, or have to be right about something, or my neat-freak tendencies come to the surface. She encourages me in my goals, in my hopes and dreams. She is my cheerleader, my confidant, my best friend. She's also the best mother to my little girl I could have ever hoped for.