In every good marriage, it pays sometimes to be a little deaf.” —Ruth Bader Ginsberg

16 years ago, on the island of Oahu, at a church that was close to Ala Moana Shopping Center, we said our I Do’s.
16 years ago.
16!
Our marriage is old enough to obtain a driver’s license.
On one hand, 16 years feels like it’s a lie — like that means we’re getting old, it can’t be 16 years…
On the other hand, 16 years… still feels like a lie.

I’m just in awe of how fast time flies.
It doesn’t feel like it’s been 16 years. Although, you’d have to ask my wife if time flew fast or if she feels like it’s been an eternity.

We met in 2004.
When we started dating is up to much debate.
I casually (the word casually added to hopefully not stir another debate) asked her to a movie and a date (the movie being 50 First Dates).
I thought I was asking her out on a date.
She thought otherwise. “Movies and dinners were a normal thing for us so why would this time be different” is a point that she drives home.
And… well, that does make sense… but still.
The whole scenario is funny because she invited a mutual friend (another dude) to join us.
So what I thought was a first date, my date invited another guy to tag along.
She was just inviting a friend who’ve been wanting to see this movie because it was just a movie and a dinner.

Either way, thus began a lifelong and beautiful journey.
One of these days, I’ll sit down and share with you our proposal story. That in of itself is a comedy of errors.
But the most important part of all of these stories is that she said, ”yes.”

Her parents jokingly refer to me as Saint Joe here and there.
But the real saint in this relationship is Rahel.
I’ve never been more in awe of her compassion, strength, resilience, and determination in the past year when she became a chaplain at Texas Children’s Hospital. On top of that, dealing with me and Nathanael.
There is not a person in this known universe who I adore and admire more than her.

Thank you for saying ’yes’ to me.
You truly and simply are the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I love you more than words can express.

Here’s to 50 more!