marcus is 50
Marcus and I met 18 years ago, when I was living in London. I was a 34-year-old attorney, he was a 32-year-old data management consultant, and both of us worked for the same company. Within 18 days of our first date, he asked me to marry him, and despite being the most cautious, risk-averse person I know, to my own astonishment I said yes. We were married 8 months later.
Since that time, we’ve been through a lot: we’ve lived in two different countries and visited 17 others. Adopted our amazing daughter. Owned three houses (sold one, lost another). We’ve endured health scares, hospital and ER visits (for both ourselves and family members), and even had almost everything we owned destroyed in a historic flood. And with every step, I’ve loved him more.
Today he’s at a milestone birthday: 50. He’s greyer than he was when we met, but still as patient, funny, kind, grounded, and caring as he ever was. (He’s also as dry and sarcastic as he ever was, but don’t tell him — those might be the traits about him I love the best.)
Wish him happy birthday with me, friends. He’s the very best.
Soundtrack: The Humpty Dance, by Digital Underground. There was one particular night when we were dating where this song featured heavily, and may or may not have involved leaping around his living room on the furniture while dancing madly. It also may or may not have been the moment I realized I was in love.