Frayed Towels

Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. We went on a date and had great adult conversation. It was epic. 😉

One of the things I brought up is how a lot of our towels are all of the sudden fraying and falling apart. The colors are fading, and even parts of the towels have had to be ripped off completely (which I now use those parts for rags).

At first, I thought I needed to run out and replace said towels with fresh new ones that actually color coordinated with our current bathroom we’ve been living in for the past seven years (and not matching our first apartment bathroom color scheme). But now, I don’t think that’s a good idea.

I remember who gave these towels to me or where I bought them our first year of marriage, and they serve as a memory of where Matt and I started.

Blissful innocence of dating. ♥

My marriage has not been easy whatsoever. Opposites attract and boy are we opposites. We have had to learn how to love, forgive, repent, and be humble over and over and over again. This has been my refining fire and the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do (harder than being on the wrestling team in high school or even childbirth 😉 ).

And now, my frayed and faded towels are like a badge of honor to me. My worn towels are my tangible proof that we’ve made it eight years. That we have a family that works hard at loving and life.

Every time I take a shower and I see my towels I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. For some, being married eight years is not that difficult. But for me, it has. And I am so proud that I have stuck to my marriage vows we said before God.

And frankly, it has been worth it to stick it out. I feel like we are finally learning what real love is. Sacrificial love. Dying to self kind of love. I am reminded of the verse – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

Babe, I love you so much. I want no one besides you. I am so blessed to be in this journey of life with YOU, my beloved.

I’m so very proud of our frayed towels, I just might never replace them.