When I met him, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. When you know you know I heard people say when I asked them how they found their mate. That night, I knew it was him.

We got married 7 years ago today. Our vows were exchanged under a clear umbrella as the rain poured down. The forecast said it was supposed to be sunny. As the sky opened up, I didn’t realize it would be a metaphor for the way my heart would feel today.

I thought I knew what love was then and looking back over these 7 years, I see that my understanding of love continues to grow.

Reflecting on our marriage, I cherish these 7 lessons about love:

• Love was the exhale for the inhale I held since the last time my heart broke before meeting Nate.

• Love took the broken pieces and helped me rebuild into something more expansive.

• Love created space for me to face the pains I held onto with a fist so tight my body thought alert was the way to be.

• Love was a labyrinth I traversed finding center far from where I began

• Love showed me a way back to myself where I learned the difference between anxiety and excitement.

• Love helped me unclench and soften my edges.

• Love has always been inside me, is my essence, and can fully be expressed and returned.

Every year, I realize how healing love truly is. I’ve never felt more safe and accepted for who I am. What felt like a long time waiting for love turned out to be the foundation to feel such deep gratitude.

Marriage has taught me that deep sorrows can reap deep joy. Tears, like rain, can clear debris and water seeds that we may forget have been planted.

Marriage is nothing like I thought it would look like, it’s better and more comfortable. I look forward to what this next year of marriage will reveal to me.