We Sat in a Pool of Tears on Our Anniversary

"Do you feel happy in your marriage? Individually?"
"I guess. But whenever I feel sad, it's always together."

Last year, I spent my marriage anniversary crying profusely. Life had hit a rough patch, and everything felt overwhelming. I’ll spare you the details of our tragedies and just say that we were both trying too many things, in professional and personal life, but none were working. We were tired, losing hope, dreams, and energy. Basically, everything except weight. That, embarrassingly, was thriving like never before.

There was no excitement for our special day. No mood for a fancy anniversary dinner. We weren't even up for a fun outing or cake-cutting. And so we didn’t do any of that. In the evening, we just went for a drive around our neighborhood, something we often do, almost like a routine.

There's nothing especially memorable I can recall, except one thing. That day, every time I broke down, he came over to hug me quietly. And then he’d hold my hand and say, “Don’t you worry, we’ll get through this.”

His eyes were tired, but the glint of hope in them covered for both of us.