Feelin' sentimental, or maybe that was just mental?

After reading a lovely post of Mrs. Anna T's, I've been feeling rather sentimental all week.
Today, Mr. P. and I celebrate 6 years of marriage. While it hasn't always been tea and roses, it has been the best years of my life. Hands down! One thing we've been talking about lately has been that our years together (9 years as a couple! Yowsa!) have created in us a bond that truly cannot be broken. We've been through so much, and come out the other end. Mr. P. and I both have always had this image in our heads during the hard times. The 2 of us, back to back, against whatever may come. Honestly, we wouldn't have gotten this far if that weren't a true picture of our marriage.
No marriage is perfect, and our's perhaps less than others. I think only by the grace of God are we still getting stronger each day. Well that, and He smacked us both upside the head when we really needed it the most.
The thing that often amazes me about us is the very simple fact that we have been married for 6 years and are only in our late twenties. I was 21 and Mr. P. was 22 when we married. That's awfully young in this day and age. When we look at those we know who either married around when we did, or at least moved in together, as far as we know, we are the only ones still married and growing in love.
Because we married so young, we have had the chance to grow together as people, not just as a couple. We celebrated our 21st birthdays together. We laughed and rejoiced over new jobs and promotions. We teased each other and cried a bit over first gray hairs. (gasp!) We've grieved together and healed from our pasts together. We've gone from silly teenagers to slightly less silly adults.
Marriage is so much more than just sharing a name or a home. It's the bonding of lives and hearts. Really, if that bond is to last and mean something, you've gotta be willing to fight for it, and to forgive when the hurt seems insurmountable.
To Mr. P.~ After these 6 years as your bride, I can honestly say I will always fight for what we have. I promise to try my best not to screw up like I have in the past. I will love you no matter what we face, and we will forever face it all together.

"This is my lover, this is my friend."
- taken from Song of Solomon 5:16

Til next squeak,