Today is my twentieth wedding anniversary and I’m proud to say Shauna and I have a fairy tale marriage.
Between you and me, I think people who claim the proverbial “fairy tale marriage” doesn’t exist don’t know what fairy tales are.
Because in fairy tales, great things have humble beginnings.
In fairy tales, there is always great evil to overcome. And initially, that evil is hidden.
In fairy tales, princesses get imprisoned in towers. And so do their knights.
In fairy tales, love is tested by fire. If it’s genuine, good prevails.
In fairy tales, great battles must be fought against great odds.
In fairy tales, long journeys with challenging quests must be undertaken.
In fairy tales, people are tempted to compromise and often reap the consequences of their folly.
In fairy tales, enemies dress like friends to deceive and ruin.
In fairy tales, powers exist beyond the physical world—and step into the physical world to both help and harm.
In fairy tales, symbols hold deeper and more powerful meaning.
In fairy tales, wrongs must be made right and repentance is key.
In fairy tales, honour, loyalty, truthfulness, and perseverance matter a whole lot.
In fairy tales, romance defies the odds.
In fairy tales, people really do live happily ever after…
… after all the repentance and battles and journeys and persevering and growing in character that made it possible.
Fairy tales are anything but fluffy, vapid, easy stories.
So yes, I have a fairy tale marriage.
Our fairy tale marriage really did have humble beginnings. I really am a prince, and Shauna really is a princess. We really do fight real enemies in battles that matter. Our love is tested by fire, and our life together is a great journey. There is a dragon in the land. The cross is a symbol with deeper meaning and power. Honour, loyalty, truthfulness, and perseverance define our deepening relationship. Twenty years young, our deepening romance defies the odds (we’ve often been told we act like newlyweds). My princess is more beautiful today than the day I married her (which is really, really hard to comprehend).
My fairy tale marriage is epic. I won’t settle for anything less.
Married?
Then don’t you settle either. Don’t you ever.