A road map into 22 years

Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary.  It is rainy, wet and cold in Central Illinois.  The weather today is very similar to our day 22 years ago except right at the time we started pictures (before the ceremony) the sun came out and it was beautiful.  We were so young.  I was 23, Mike was 25.  We could not have predicted all the joy, heartache, challenges and mistakes we would make along the way but isn't it that way for every couple?  In our 22 years we have overcome a devastating job loss, the start up of a new business, the death of a parent, a health crises with me (my ankle and pulmonary embolism), my mom's health crises, enduring the move of our dearest/life long friends which has left a void in our hearts and now a pandemic.  And let's not forget parenting!  We have parented two wonderful boys who have centered Mike and I, and played a big role in who we are as adults today.  
Our road map consists of things we didn't do so well and things we did.  The things we didn't do so well revolve around money.  We finally figured things out four years ago when Mike lost his job and we've been good ever since.  Every marriage has a thorn.  Ours is cleanliness. Bottom line Mike is meticulous, I am not. Things got ugly between us over it.  I know it sounds funny, after all we weren't dealing with an addiction issue, unless you count how many times Mike likes to vacuum per day, but it really was a problem.  It is still?  Sometimes but for the most part we've overcome it.  I also hated how much Mike worked in the early years of parenting.  That work ethic has served him well over the last four years of running his business and because he's working for himself I'm no longer bothered by his work schedule and it helps that the boys are older.  It seems that every tough season we've gone through we climb out of it a little better and a little stronger, which is always a good sign.   Some of things we've done well is parent together.  We have supported one another in every decision.  Our boys would never say they could play one of us off the other, once a decision was made.  They would however say I was the softie.  Ha.  We have made each other laugh at times we really needed it.  Mike is actually better at this than me.  He can usually crack me up daily.  As we've aged I'm a wee bit grouchier, definitely softer around the middle and I do enjoy my cocktails, Mike, not so much.  But I'm still the "what you see is what you get" girl he married.  That has not changed.  As Mike ages I like him more.  He's more relaxed. I've always said he's easy to love but sometimes hard to like.  I find that is not the case as he gets older.
Happy 22nd Anniversary, Sieb!