Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary to us 🤍

Seven years.

On 19 September 2019, we started a new chapter together. Today, as we celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, I find myself reflecting less on how long we have been married and more on how much we have grown through the years.

Seven years of marriage has taught me that marriage is not always about having a happy life.

Sometimes, it is about learning how to navigate an unhappy season together.

We have gone through different challenges, difficult moments, disappointments, changes and seasons where life simply did not feel as sweet or as easy as we hoped it would be.

And I think that is something we don't always talk about when we talk about marriage.

We often see the beautiful parts, anniversaries, celebrations, family photos, holidays and milestones.

But behind those moments are two people who are constantly learning how to live, grow and struggle together.

Marriage is not about choosing each other only when life is easy.

I think one of the biggest lessons these seven years have taught me is that love becomes more meaningful when you continue choosing each other during the difficult seasons.

It is easy to love when everything is going well.

It is much harder when both of you are tired, stressed, disappointed or trying to figure out life.

There will be moments when you don't have all the answers. There will be moments when you disagree. There will be moments when one person needs more support than the other.

And perhaps marriage is not about avoiding those moments.

Perhaps it is about learning to face them together.

You don't need a perfect marriage. You need a marriage that keeps growing.

After seven years, I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage.

Every couple has their own struggles, their own weaknesses and their own way of navigating life.

What matters is the willingness to keep learning.

Learning to communicate better.

Learning to be patient.

Learning to apologise.

Learning to give each other space.

Learning to support each other's dreams.

And sometimes, simply learning to say, “We will figure this out together.”

Marriage is a continuous work in progress.

And I think that is okay.

Appreciate the person who keeps showing up.

One thing I am especially grateful for is having a husband who continues to show up for our family.

Not necessarily through grand gestures, but through the everyday things, being present, making an effort, carrying responsibilities and being there through the ups and downs of life.

It reminds me that sometimes, love is not loud.

Sometimes love looks like consistency.

It looks like coming home.

It looks like trying again.

It looks like being there even when life gets complicated.

And perhaps those quiet efforts are some of the most valuable forms of love.

Don't take the ordinary days for granted.

Seven years also reminds me that life moves very quickly.

We spend so much time waiting for the next milestone, the next holiday, the next house, the next achievement, the next better season.

But eventually, we realise that life is mostly made up of ordinary days.

The conversations.

The meals.

The tired evenings.

The little jokes.

The routines.

The simple moments of having someone beside you.

Those ordinary days are actually the life we are building.

So perhaps one of the greatest lessons marriage has taught me is to appreciate the ordinary.

Because one day, we may look back and realise that those were the moments that mattered the most.

Seven years later, I am grateful.

I am grateful not because our journey has been perfect.

I am grateful because it has been real.

We have experienced seasons that tested us, but we are still here.

Still learning.

Still growing.

Still building our family.

Still choosing each other.

And perhaps that is what I hope marriage continues to teach us, that love is not simply a feeling we have for someone.

It is a decision we continue to make, especially when life doesn't go according to plan.

Seven years has taught me that a strong marriage isn't necessarily one without problems.

It is one where two people are willing to face the problems on the same side.

So, to anyone who is also walking through marriage, especially those who may currently be in a difficult season, don't compare your marriage to what you see from the outside.

Every marriage has chapters that nobody else gets to read.

Some chapters are beautiful.

Some are painful.

Some are confusing.

And some simply require patience.

Keep growing. Keep communicating. Keep showing up for each other.

And when life gets difficult, remember that you are not supposed to fight against each other.

You are supposed to face the difficulty together.

Seven years in, I am still learning.

And perhaps that is the beautiful thing about marriage, there is always another lesson, another season and another opportunity to choose each other again.