Dear Twenty-Year-Old Me,

Get ready, this ride you are about to take is gonna be a wild one! The walk you are preparing yourself for today is leading you into a life you can’t even imagine. You will experience highs and lows that will take your breath away. Your challenges will be nothing compared to your victories.

Today, you will marry a great man. He doesn’t know it yet though. He exudes confidence, but on the inside he is anything but confident. He is physically strong and in the best shape of his life; yet that won’t be enough in the end. The man you are walking towards has deep scars, fears, hurts, and a past he can’t outrun. Love him with all you have and don’t ever give up on him.

You don’t realize it today, but you will be the one he wants to be like when he’s at his worst. Your faith will be what he sees when he is desperate for a way out of the past. Stay strong and don’t lose hope. He is a good, good man. God has really big plans for him and you will be blessed to stand by his side.

When you say your vows, you really mean them. When you promise to love him “for better or worse, in sickness and in health, and to death do you part” you will. Taking out “obey” was a good move. You are just as (if not more!) hardheaded than he is and you will talk back more times than you can count.

Don’t waste your time being anxious, angry, upset, or fearful. Your prayers have already been answered. You can’t imagine how God has prepared you for this adventure you are about to start, but you are going to absolutely love this ride! Be ready…its full of ups, downs, twists, and turns. Oh! But it will fill you will joy and wonder and happiness.

When you have your first fight on your honeymoon…don’t leave the room. The fear you will strike in his heart and the danger you will put yourself in isn’t worth it. When he panics on the way home from the airport and realizes that you are going home with him forever, isn’t a regret about you. Don’t take it personally. That moment is the one where it hits him that life isn’t just about him anymore. That’s a good thing.

You have a whole lotta life ahead of you. Today is just the beginning. Get used to those butterflies in your stomach, they aren’t going anywhere. The smile that is plastered on your face is because of the love that is inside your heart. It’s not going anywhere either. Twenty years from now you will remember every detail of this day.

Slow down and enjoy it!

Savor it.

Cherish it.

You will keep the promises you make today and so will he. You will get the love story that others only dream about, don’t take that lightly. God knows what He’s doing and He brought you two together for a reason. So, straighten that veil, tighten that grip on your Mama’s Bible in your hands, and smile as you walk towards your next chapter. Its gonna be a good one!

Happy 20th Anniversary Em from,

Your Forty-Year-Old Self