this is us

Curled up on the oversized, velveety beanbag together, we popped the game into the Wii and up came a screen that was familiar from years before. Propped on pillows next to each other, we laughed and hit buttons with more competitive flair than necessary for hours in the "dungeon," our nickname for the downstairs room in the rental house where the kids' have a television and the games. We chuckled over memories of sitting on stiff-backed dining room chairs in front of the desktop computer's monitor when we used to play the PC version of this very same game. Years ago, when we were young, new parents and the daily trials and tribulations of life were both easier and harder in different ways.

Around this time of year, I always get nostalgic as I think back to us meeting during our freshman year, to alcohol-fueled parties and the kiss that started this whole wild ride. Our son is only two years younger right now than we were when we became a couple, yet I knew this was the man I was to love for decades and decades to come. How was I confident about that, with zero knowledge of just how challenging the coming years could get?

With all the ups and downs, it's nice to stop and take a quick assessment in the moment. We've survived one of the big events of a couple's lives in this past year with our move hundreds of miles away from our previous home. We're working to make our place in our new community, and we have frequent spontaneous conversations that start with a comment like, "It really seems like we did the right thing, huh?" We're each pursuing personal interests and passions, and all in all, life is pretty damn good.

So when in the beanbag moment, laughing wildly at the ridiculous game, snuggled under the comforter-sized blanket next to him, I felt nothing but appreciation that I get to be in this place, here with him.