Filatore: #16

Albert Camus once said, "Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

The Pretty Place Chapel on the NC/SC line.

Sixteen years ago, I was lucky enough to stand on the edge of the cliff at Pretty Place Chapel and marry the one who has walked beside me all the way.

While life has been unpredictable, it's also been better than I ever imagined. I'd like to strongly refute the idea in popular culture that marriage is something to be dreaded, that it kills a person's spirit and saps their personality. Hollywood's portrayal of one-sided, selfish relationships couldn't be further from the truth.

I've found marriage to be just the opposite...based on a mutual conviction of trust and respect, of shared times in the past & better times yet to come, our marriage is one of the few places that I feel fully loved and accepted. My marriage, by far, is the best thing I've ever done and it continually inspires me to be a better person.

On this 16th anniversary, when we are farther apart than we've ever been, I've never felt closer. Happy Anniversary Ginger!

Here's a few brief photos of the last 16 years. (Ideally, I'd have one picture from each year, but based on my current location, I had to make due with what I could find online on on my computer.)