Stop me if you've heard this one...

This past summer John and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We didn't throw a big party or go out on a hot date or any of those things they tell you to do in those magazines. No, it was a fairly subdued evening even though it was a Friday and we both had friends who stopped over to hang out. We ended up hanging out more with our friends who stopped over then we did with each other. But that was okay, because the next day? We took the kids and the new dog and drove to Lake Superior! So that was our big anniversary celebration, camping on Lake Superior. The fact that we were doing this instead of sitting in a hot tub at a hotel somewhere has everything to do with the fact that my husband loves me very much. Yes he does! Because you see, he really doesn't like camping. He tolerates it because he knows I like it and he's getting better at it every year. But I know it's a labor of love for him. So, thanks, sweetie! Let's do it again next year!

But that's not the story I came here to tell you today. Today I came here to tell you this story:

Not long after we began dating, John and I were sitting on a couch together watching Frasier when I admitted a special fondness for Roz because she reminded me of myself back in my sluttish days. Although, I coquetishly amended, I might not have been as much of a slut as she was. My then boyfriend and soon-to-be fiance gently put his arm around me and in the most comforting voice imaginable said, "Oh honey, don't put yourself down! I'm sure you were a huge slut!"

That was the moment when I knew he was the one. Now, I'm probably not telling this very well, it probably doesn't sound very romantic and I'm sure it's lost something in translation. But I want to be clear, the thing that struck me the most about this wasn't his quick witted response or his obvious security with his sexuality and mine, it was his ability to completely dismiss our relative pasts for the opportunity to be here now, in this moment, with me. So really, when you think about it that way, it's about the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.