Dear Amy,
Our very first date was on my 18th birthday. At Applebee’s. Talk about fancy. I told you I wanted apple pie so, of course, that was the logical (and most affordable) place for two teenagers to go. You might’ve even had a gift card or a coupon, another reason I would’ve fallen so fast for you. We walked hand-in-hand that night, you and I, knowing right there and then that forever was for us — no matter where we’d go, no matter where it’d take us. People thought we were crazy back then for how crazy we were about each other, but they couldn’t feel what we felt, because if they could’ve, they would’ve known that we would’ve been crazy to be apart, because, to use a timely metaphor, you can’t separate cotton from fabric.
Which brings us to this morning.
We woke up in a place those high school kids couldn’t have even dreamed of at that Applebee’s that night 10 years ago: Marseille, a magnificent port in the South of France, filled with hundreds of bright-colored ships nuzzled into the coast, resting atop the tranquil water, marked with memories yet eagerly awaiting their next adventure. It’s not a coincidence, I don’t think, that we’re celebrating your tenth birthday together. Here. But, just like you, there’s even more to Marseille than what meets the eye. In English, the word Marseille means a woven fabric embossed with figures and stripes, which, my love, describes with precision who you’ve been, who you are, and who you’ll always be… to me.
Every bit of you is woven into the fabric of my soul. You’ve brought stripes and colors into my life that, just like places we’ve explored this week, I didn’t even know existed. And like an eternal embossing, you’ve stamped my heart with yours, leaving your mark on me in memories, with so many adventures left to come, just like the boats here in Marseille.
So let’s hold hands, my love, like we did ten years ago, but instead of apple pie, let’s eat apple crepes, and instead of wondering where we’ll go next, let’s take a moment in Marseille to look back and celebrate how far we’ve come. Happy birthday.
Je t’aime,
Me
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"I always look forward to your emails! I get excited every time I get an email notification that says 'Amy & Jordan!' Even though we've never formally met, you guys have pretty much become the photography mentor I've never had!"
"I LOVEEE the Monday Minute and I look forward to it every week!"
"The Monday Minute has seriously changed the way I look at my business! In the last year, my business has completely changed and evolved and I know that it's greatly due to my time 'spent' with the two of you!"
"Best year of my life! (Photography-wise!)"
"I always look forward to your emails! I get excited every time I get an email notification that says 'Amy & Jordan!' Even though we've never formally met, you guys have pretty much become the photography mentor I've never had!"
"I LOVEEE the Monday Minute and I look forward to it every week!"
"The Monday Minute has seriously changed the way I look at my business! In the last year, my business has completely changed and evolved and I know that it's greatly due to my time 'spent' with the two of you!"
"Best year of my life! (Photography-wise!)"
Your love story is beautiful but even more beautiful is the intense love you posses for each other! Happy Birthday Amy & thank you for inspiring so many.
Aw! Kalli! Thank you so much for this 🙂 You’re so sweet and it means so much!
That made me sob like a baby… Only the best love stories do. Cheers to so many beautiful years…. Aren’t high school sweethearts the best? Xoxo
Aw!! Thanks so much, Mary! They truly are!! Hugs!! <3