Thank You, Mrs. Mullally.

Let me start by saying that nothing in our marriage is hard if it has to do with Chris and me. If it's just us, it's perfect. 

But, we face obstacles just like any couple, I guess. This is especially true as of late. You should also know what a difficult time I have setting and keeping boundaries. For the most part, Chris and I compliment each other so well: he makes up for what I lack and I pick up the slack on his end sometimes.

But, boundaries are tough for him too. 

So, there you have it. We're two people who enable a lot of people to think they have pull where our relationship is concerned. Sometimes, we let people get the best of us and come home to each other trying to give what's left. Let me reiterate - if it's just Chris and me, everything is perfect. Date nights, vacations, or a t.v. show at the end of the night - there are no complications here. And, hey! We genuinely enjoy each other's company. We have fun, we laugh (and, I mean laugh until I almost pee), and we hold hands even when no one's around. I forget about how much MORE important and prominent those things are in our lives sometimes. I get bogged down by the negativity, the (seemingly) never-ceasing bad news, and by the fact that it is evident we have fallen so short when it came to protecting our marriage from boundary-less intruders.

So, I opened up an old letter today. It's dated April 27th 2006 (exactly 6 years before my graduation date). And, I reread this paragraph:

"Christopher Browning encourages me. He's my boyfriend and my best friend - he carries me when I need it. There aren't words enough to explain how he's impacted my life already. I could go on for endless mushy-gushy pages about how he makes me feel, but above all else, he loves me without hesitation. He loves to hear about my past and can't wait to see who I'll become. He laughs with me when I couldn't be happier and he has a way of comforting me if I'm not quite up to laughing. I can't be sure... but, I kind of am. He's it."

Mrs. Mullally, I just want to say thank you. There's no way you could have known that this paragraph would be a foundation block I would always refer back to. You couldn't have known (or, at least you said you never read them) what was in my letter. You couldn't have known I'd marry the guy on this piece of paper. 

Thank you for taking a bunch of students with senioritis and telling them to write themselves a letter. 

- Danielle Browning (but, you know me as Danielle Alban)