VOWS
​His
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Beautiful Sarah, when we first met, we had a robust difference of opinion, but it was intellectual, intense and passionate leaving me better informed and wanting more (even if I did win the argument).
After we eventually got to meet again, I had that same sense of enthusiasm for sharing all of my thoughts with you but also found that you are also just as fun and nearly as crazy as me. It was pretty obvious where I wanted to take this newfound relationship, which you later learned while we were swimming in your pool in the middle of the night.
And then everything that has happened since has been a state of bliss and euphoria... Well mostly… I have since recovered from a few battle-scars and have learnt that you don’t want to talk for hours on end about how much fun I had hosting Bar Choir when I’d get home at 5 am on a Wednesday morning.
You are my best friend and my amazingly awesome personal chef, my number-one co-conspirator and future partner in world domination. Above all else, you are the woman I love and the only woman I could ever love.
And I vow, going into our lives together as man and wife, to be the only man you would want to love and be loved by.
I vow to love you as you deserve to be loved: with admiration, adoration, passion, pragmatism and respect, and to treat you like the beautiful woman that you are, even when you’re hot, sweaty, steamy and red in the face from a very long session of……… walking the dog.
I vow to support your interests and nourish your passions: from travelling the world, to deep-sea diving, to debating the more significant issues in life as well as to support your endeavours of demolishing massive seafood platters, letting you win at board games and encouraging your very capable singing talents at busy licenced venues.
I vow to remain loyal to you physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I vow to take you seriously when you need to be taken seriously and to laugh with you the rest of the time: because life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.
I vow to take care of you when you are feeling unwell, disappointed with the world, or just when you forget to take care of yourself; even when you are suffering from a life-threatening spider bite. In much the same manner you demonstrated so much love and concern when I was on death’s door when you first met me!
I vow to create a household with you as partners and as equals, and where hopefully one day, I am as equal as any of your furry friends.
I vow to kiss you every day you open your eyes, to challenge you and learn together, to make you know that there is no-one else I would rather spend my life with, to deliver on each of your needs and desires and to visit every place you want me to travel to — even the ones that are outside of Australia.
And I vow to remain by your side as we grow old; from playing Rummy-O, to complaining about the youth of today, and discussing how we would be far better politicians than those elected – if it wasn’t such a tedious job. In fact, it sounds like we must already be old!
Speaking of old, here are some wise words given to me, from a smart man who has successfully navigated over 40 years of marriage…
I vow to:
Live in the moment.
Always be prepared to take a risk.
Relish every moment together, seeing the beauty of our home; Australia.
Enjoy the simple things in life and shun the pretentious.
Focus on our Family as the reason for our being.
AAAANND…. I know that I love work, but I love you more.
By the way: I dropped one of the vows suggested from Dad. I won’t dare to vow to create seven children with you Sarah!
Sarah-Jane, you are not only the person I choose to spend the rest of my life with, but also the first person who I can completely confide in, and that’s not something I have ever been able to state before. I love you more than you could ever truly realise, and I can’t wait to physically introduce you to all those in my life as my beautiful wife.
Long story short, I Love You
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Benjamin Smith
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Hers
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At the time that we met, I was pretty happy with where life had taken me and where it was going. I had embraced life as a single independent woman and I was happy with that, because I knew I’d rather be on my own than with anyone who was not my true equal and soul mate.
And then you walked into my gin joint.
While I don’t think it is your responsibility to make me happy, you do anyway. And you do it through the many personas I have (mainly) come to love.
Benjamin,
Beautiful Boy, I love your sentimental soul and the child inside who is at once introverted and sensitive, but also wants to entertain everybody, without being the centre of attention. I love your nostalgia for the things you hold dear and the joy you show when talking about them.
I promise to always cherish the past and never forget the child at heart who just wants to be loved and sometimes hide under his Mums skirt.
Benjamin Son,
One of the first things I fell in love with was the passion and love you show towards your family. You might think I don’t notice or appreciate all the little things you do for me, your family, and now mine, but please know it warms my heart whenever you do.
I promise to always respect and nurture those relationships as they are the foundations of what I want for us. And please, keep singing to Eddie when you think I’m not listening.
Bentendo,
Our life together is like me trying to play Super Mario. It can be challenging, often complicated, sometimes annoying, and it’s easy to lose patience even when you try your hardest not to.
But… you also get excited whenever I succeed, even if it’s only finishing level 1.1. You find joy in the minute details of life and you’re never afraid to offer guidance. Most importantly, you never never know when a regular trip through the Forest of Illusion is going to land you down some enchanting secret level and there are thousands of hidden gems to find no matter how many times you play. And the best part is that, just like Super Mario, I’m going to be playing this game of life with you for eternity.
I promise that while your princess might always be in another castle, your queen will always be right beside you in this mad journey through life.
Business Ben,
I know we’ll never run out of things to talk about because you can never keep a long story short. Thank you for the passion you show in your own work and mine, and the respect and confidence you give me every day.
I promise to always be there as a sounding board when you need to flesh things out and to support you through challenging times whenever and however they arise.
Benjamin Luke,
Me without you is like Paul without John (or is that John without Paul)?
For some reason our contrasts and contradictions work, even though you are far more creative than I give you credit for.
I promise to always let you follow your dreams, even if that means having to make some sacrifices along the way.
Benjaminge,
It is probably a good thing I didn’t meet this one, but I acknowledge that it’s what led you to me.
So, I promise to always feed you when you’re hungry and do what Mario says when you’re not.
Beneoke,
I love that, like me, you never want the party to end, even though it can be a dangerous combination!
Please know that I’m marrying Benjamin in spite of you, not because of you so I’m not going to promise anything.
But really, what I have to say is for Benjamin B Bear,
The irony is that when we met you said you were determined to crack my tough exterior and find the softness inside. You succeeded, I concede, but we’re both pretty tough nuts to crack. Thank you for actually wanting to know and understand me and everything that I am, even the sensitive, frustrating and flippant sides I try to hide.
Under your resilient exterior you’re a genuine, kind-hearted and generous soul.
The consideration you show is in the many little things you do. Whether it’s scanning all my cards so you have a record for when I lose them, always trying to put my keys in one consistent place, putting together a pivot table for wedding guests or trying to pitch for me even when I’m not interested, I know you’ve always got my back and best interest at heart.
So, with the wise advice of 006, I promise to be true to myself and always speak the truth to you. And when my good intentions inadvertently hurt you in some way, I promise always to find a way to make it better.
Benjamin Luke Smith,
You may be adverse to traveling beyond Australia’s shores, but it doesn’t matter. Because every day with you is an adventure. Whether it’s finding a private beach or simply traipsing around Mitchell St at 2am, life with you always has something interesting left in store, even if it’s just a deep conversation while staring at the stars.
So, whether it’s my adventurous soul taking me to faraway places, or my delicate heart pushing you away, I promise to always find a way back to you.
The last 18 months have shown me that we can navigate this life well together. We know how to have fun and laugh even when the world is going mad, we will always find pleasure and adventure in the little things, we can demolish a seafood platter like nobody else and entertain like we’ve been together 40 years.
But the last few months have taught me that all of the inconsequential things can be taken away and it doesn’t change how I feel or what I want.
It’s not that there is nowhere else in the world I want to be, but there is nobody else in the universe I want to be with.
I cannot wait to see where this level takes us, and to be your loving wife for the rest of our days.
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