Oak Park, Illinois, September 17, 1994
Don't move across the country three days after you get married.
Go on a honeymoon instead.
The first year will be harder than you think, in spite of how well you already know each other.
You'll underestimate how much you'll miss everyone.
You'll want everything to be in place right away and you'll hate how unsettled your life is at first.
Don't be in such a rush.
Sometimes you'll think your new husband is the most fantastic thing in the whole world.
Sometimes you won't.
Sometimes he won't think you are either.
You'll want to live in the city and he'll want to live in the country.
You'll want to live in the country and he'll want to live in the city.
You'll do the worrying.
He won't.
Be nice to him because he'll give you his dinner when you don't like what you've ordered.
And he'll watch your movies with you even though you won't watch his with him.
Sometimes you'll be a good wife.
Sometimes you won't.
He'll make you laugh till your face hurts.
Sometimes you'll make him laugh, too.
One day you'll look at your husband's face in this picture and it will almost make you cry.
And then it will.
One day you'll look back at your old, young self and wonder how in the world you managed to find this guy.
But you'll never figure that out.
You'll never, ever know what you did to deserve such a thoughtful, patient, and extraordinary man.
