Longest lasting, and counting

Being sick with a cold over a holiday weekend creates some massive confusion for me. Not only am I uncertain as to the day of the week (due to being out sick yesterday), but I didn't even know what day it was until I looked at my clock five minutes ago.

What the hell is today, anyway? Oh, it's May 31st.

Wait... it's May. Thirty First.

Woah.

That reaction has cost me my "women remember these things" card for a while.

As of today, Erich and I have been together for five years. Five years ago this evening, on a day much like today, I met up with him after work only one block from where I'm currently sitting. I went into that meeting with no hopes, other than to meet someone with whom I'd hopefully develop a good friendship. I was blessed to find something more. Much more.

I've never been in a relationship this long, nor this meaningful. And to my surprise, there's no odd feelings about it. There's just calm and comfort. While we do have our occasional disagreements, I honestly can't say that we've had a major fight. We communicate. We laugh. We joke around. We share.

It's life, all healthy-like and stuff.

For the first three years of our relationship, I did have a quiet fear that the other shoe was going to drop-- that something horrible would happen, and this amazing relationship would somehow disappear. I'm a natural pessimist, and based on my other relationships (and their attached disfunction in so many ways), I never expected to actually find myself in a position where I wanted to share everything of myself again.

I definitely don't have those worries any more. I've learned to trust, to allow the guards to come down, and to let Erich in. It honestly took a while, but I'm fortunate to have someone who was willing to take the time I've needed. I still have hangups and problems I'm working through. I don't doubt that Erich has a few of his own.

But we're building a life together. And it's good. Really good.

My 26-year-old self would have laughed her ass off in disbelief regarding my current life. Engaged. With cats. And more cats. With house.

I'm a bit awestruck by it, honestly. When in the hell did all of this happen?

;)