Promise.

When you photograph weddings for a living, you hear a lot of vows, a lot of sermons, a lot of speeches about love. Love and what it means, love and first Corinthians, love and the role of the lord, love and how to do it.

It starts to eventually feel like people are telling you that all there is to relationships or marriages is love. 

So long as you promise to love each other forever, everything will be fine.

Well. 

I don't know.

I mean, I've never been married, and I've never been with someone for my whole entire life, but I have started to notice that it seems like falling in love is the easy part.

Sure, it's important, sure it's a huge factor, and sure without love you probably won't be very happy in your relationship, but I think if the day ever comes that I stand up in front of everybody I know and promise the rest of my life to them, I'd want to have something more to offer than just love. 

I'd want to promise to love you forever, because it is impossible not to love you.

Because in all the years that we've been together, all the mistakes we've both made, I've loved you for every minute, of every day. Even when we hated each other.

I'd want to promise to go to bed angry, and have faith that things would look a lot better the next morning, over pancakes or fried egg sandwiches.

I'd want to promise to support you in your dreams and passions, no matter how crazy or unique or scary they may be for me.

I'd want to promise to always be adventurous with you, and make our life together a life full of memories, full of exploring, full of wonder. To always be beside you when you went looking for a little trouble. 

I'd want to promise to take care of you, to be there for you and always be on your side.

To be the voice that always has something good to say about you, when it seems like the whole world is holding up a magnifying glass to your flaws.

I'd want to promise to be the one that reminds you of how special you are, how wonderful and amazing and brave you are.

I'd want to promise to always laugh at your jokes, and kiss you goodnight, and be happy to see you when you come home.

And above all else, I'd want to promise to never forget how lucky I am to be yours, and how happy I am that you're mine, and that I get to love you.

Because I have, I do, and I will.

I will love you.