Today, April 4, marks the anniversary date of the day that my spouse and I were married one year ago.

First-off, notice that I do not label this date as our “wedding anniversary.” We did not have a wedding. Last thing either of us wanted to do was to have a big gay frilly-froo-froo deal.

I call what we did was get married … at a private, small marriage ceremony. Just me, my husband, my twin brother, and the officiant… right there in the courthouse in the county where I grew up.

How am I feeling about our marriage one year later?

To be honest, I was thinking that this really is not a big deal. After all, come the 25th of this month, we will have been together in a committed relationship for 21 years.

But in another way, I am still on a honeymoon. I gaze at my spouse and say, “I have a husband. A real honest-to-goodness husband.” I just want to hold him, squeeze him, and hug him sideways from Sunday. I am still giddy and in love with the man of my heart.

Then I think about our marriage from a practical point of view: I look at…

• …our marriage license issued by the state… it’s real. It’s real!
• …the deed to our house and see his name next to mind as co-owner and the title as “tenants by the entirety.”
• …the revised documents for the business that owns the houses that I rent to community heroes, and see my husband’s name listed with mine as co-owner, and his right to survive ownership without tax consequences should I predecease him.
• …our income tax returns to the Federal Government and our home state where we, for the first time, legally filed the returns as “married filing jointly.”
• …my health insurance card and see that I have the same account number as my husband, because we’re covered by the same policy as “family.”

In many respects, our lives have not changed as far as how we live as a couple. My husband is still the same ol’ recluse that he has always been. I still am a non-dancing klutz who gets much too involved with too many things. My husband loves taking care of our home, yard, and forest friends. I love taking care of him.

I dunno, so much has changed and so much has remained the same. But the changes within this past year have been the most impactful on our lives by having our marriage first be able to occur, as well as the legal aspects and recognition that followed it.

I am taking today off from work to celebrate with my man. We probably will not go anywhere or do anything, but if I can simply sit next to him, hold his hand, and show him how I love him, that will be perfect.

Life is short: marriage is about love…