Saturday, January 17th, ~6:20pm

While it's probably not entirely true that the atoms in the human body turn over into new ones every seven years, if it were, there would not be an atom in my body that hasn't known you it's entire life. We've been through so much and learned so much about ourselves that it's almost like being an entirely new person.
Our love is not a storybook story. It is richer, dynamic, and thoroughly three-dimensional...occasionally driving each other crazy is just an added bonus. Whatever might happen, and whatever other people may think of us, we know that this is how it's meant to be. So, Peter, in honor of that love:

I promise not to hold against you the fact that you thought I was bitchy, when you first got to know me. You were right.
I promise to hold your hand, and not to give you raspberries
-to listen - to new songs, old songs, and your monthly billability report, among other things
I promise to dance, especially when it would be less weird to be taking pictures
-to find new and exciting ways to include goat cheese in our cooking.
I promise to try to explain art when you ask because, with a little prompting, you usually understand it better than I do
-and to rise to the challenge when we hear a song I've never heard before and you ask me to name not just the band, but the singer as well.
I promise to be honest, even though you won't always like what I have to say
I promise to learn when not to give my opinion and, when you do the same for me, to try not to ask, "what is that look supposed to mean?"

I promise to learn from your strengths and lend you mine.
I promise to follow you in your passionate drive and lead when you are weary of blazing our trail
-and to leave room to explore separate paths but to work together to be sure we don't get too lost
I promise to always look to the future with optimism, knowing that you will bring, not pessimism, but realism to temper it.
-to smile, because when we think we have nothing to smile about, we must be forgetting something.
I promise to keep on doing what we've been doing, but to get better at it all the time...or at least make measurable progress on a quarterly basis.
I promise to improve our lives not only by the achievement of our dreams but also by helping to change how we view our triumphs and defeats.
We've already started on this path, and watching you become a happier person has made me a happier person.

I love you.